Is it normal to wake up with anxiety of falling back to sleep

58% Normal
3 Comments

Ever since I was a kid I would occasionally wake up in the middle of the night with extreme fear like the world was going to end or something bad happening as soon as I try to fall asleep again.

It happened the past two nights in a row. It's an uncontrollable fear and when I closed my eyes I would start to panic. So I end up forcing myself to stay awake until the anxiety went away.

What's strange is that I have no recollection of a dream prior to waking up, I remember the events, but can't fall back to sleep. So it's like a blend of bad dream and night terror symptoms.

What's going on here?

Voting Results
58% Normal
Based on 52 votes (30 yes)
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Comments ( 3 )
  • Avant-Garde
    10 years ago

    Have you ever had sleep paralysis and saw Shadow People?

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  • CornedBeefAndCabbage
    10 years ago

    I also experience something similar. I'll wake up in the middle of the night with this anxious/ unexplainable feeling. Like something just isn't right. But I can't let myself fall back asleep because I panic thinking I'll die in my sleep (I know it's an irrational thought).
    I talked to my doctor and a therapist once, they agreed that I get panic attacks in my sleep, that's what causes me to wake up with all that anxiety.
    Maybe you should tell your doctor. If they think it's panic attacks they can refer you to a therapist or counselor that specifically deals with that subject.

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  • Short4Words
    10 years ago

    That's interesting. Something similar happens to me. I'll wake up, but I can feel my body shutting down. I'm completely conscious, it's not fading into a deep sleep it's like being buried. I hate the feeling, so I force myself awake until I fall asleep naturally.

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