Does lack of sleep make you anxious or trigger panic attacks?

NickyNacker

NickyNacker

Well-known member
I've noticed over the past year that the more tired I get the more anxious I get, and the easier it is for me to have a panic attack. Last weekend I ended up staying awake for just under 30 hours and I had my first panic attack since October. So it had been almost a year. I stayed up that long because I was staying at a friends house(I had already been up for a long while before I went to their house) and sometimes it's hard for me to sleep at other people's houses. We both laid down to sleep, but I just couldn't fall asleep. So i stayed up all day and that night I went home and I was watching the VMA's and I just started freaking out. When I stay up that long, my emotions go CRAZY. So it's a lot easier for me to get to that panic thought path and start freaking out. I get so much more sensitive when I'm exhausted- and I just feel weird in general. And watching the VMA's just got my emotions worked up, and it led to a panic attack. Anyone else feel similar?
 
NickyNacker

NickyNacker

Well-known member
Really? That makes no sense to me... especially since it really does make me more anxious and panicky(is that a word? lol)
 
philly2bits

philly2bits

Well-known member
It does help me if I have some anxiety, but only because I start to feel like the walking dead if my sleep is messed up.
 
FountainandFairfax

FountainandFairfax

in a VAN down by the RIVER
If I go without sleep it lessens my anxiety. It's like my body pools it's strength for real threats and leaves me no excess nervous energy to fret over B.S. stuff.

I used to take a Unisom sleep tablet in the mornings before I went to school to try and get the same effect. It worked pretty well.
 
lurknomore

lurknomore

1
I don't have panic attacks, but I have been very anxious about some things lately. I've found that the reverse is true though... anxiety causes me to lose sleep, but being sleep deprived doesn't seem to make my anxiety better or worse- except when I get to the point where I'm too exhausted to think about whatever is making me anxious.
 
Septor

Septor

Well-known member
Strange..For me a lack of sleep, makes my anxiety go through the roof.Most of my worse panic attacks have happen when I got less then five hours of sleep.Of course having bad anxiety like that,keeps my from sleeping which means,I have more anxity.It's a cycle that is hard to brake out of,when it starts.
 
PennyLane

PennyLane

Well-known member
Im pretty mucht he same as lurknomore, my anxiety leads to a rubbish sleeping pattern...which makes me really unmotivated and leaves me feeling worse.

Im awake til 5am and then I sleep til lunch and by then I don't even want to do anything with the day! I actually think this might be one of the biggest contributing factors to my problems!
 
NickyNacker

NickyNacker

Well-known member
It worries me that most everybody said no. When I'm up too long, I feel terrified. My emotions are heightened, and my anxiety/panic goes through the roof. Yesterday I woke up at 2 AM, and at 9 PM was laying in bed watching a documentary about the 2004 tsunami, and just watching that almost drove me to a panic attack. I was terrified/depressed. And then I fell asleep for an hour, and when I woke up I was very confused/shivery/depressed/angry.. I felt like I wanted to scream and cry. I was SO confused and didn't know what was happening. I started to panic and paced up and down the hallway. Eventually I fell asleep, and I'm starting to feel it again tonight. And it's Christmas Eve! I just keep telling myself to take deep breaths and stay calm, but when I'm up this long, my emotions are just ridiculous. :( I just hope I can stay calm and fall asleep and not ruin Christmas.
 
Anomaly

Anomaly

Well-known member
Panic attacks I'm not sure about, but sleep loss worsens depression in the long run, I'd say.

In fact, sleep deprivation has been used as a depression treatment. Awakening patients early improves mood in 30% to 60% of cases. The problem is, the effect is short-lived. Once patients sleep again, they wake up depressed the next day. A variation of sleep deprivation called phase advancing, is now used as treatment in some circumstances.
Click to expand...

http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200307/bedfellows-insomnia-and-depression
 
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lyricalliaisons

lyricalliaisons

Well-known member
It's usually easier for me to deal with/talk to people if I've had no sleep. I guess because, since my brain's not working properly because of the sleep deprivation, it doesn't get as scared as it usually does.
 
backflipper144

backflipper144

Member
NickyNacker said:
It worries me that most everybody said no. When I'm up too long, I feel terrified. My emotions are heightened, and my anxiety/panic goes through the roof. Yesterday I woke up at 2 AM, and at 9 PM was laying in bed watching a documentary about the 2004 tsunami, and just watching that almost drove me to a panic attack. I was terrified/depressed. And then I fell asleep for an hour, and when I woke up I was very confused/shivery/depressed/angry.. I felt like I wanted to scream and cry. I was SO confused and didn't know what was happening. I started to panic and paced up and down the hallway. Eventually I fell asleep, and I'm starting to feel it again tonight. And it's Christmas Eve! I just keep telling myself to take deep breaths and stay calm, but when I'm up this long, my emotions are just ridiculous. :( I just hope I can stay calm and fall asleep and not ruin Christmas.
Click to expand...

From personal experience I will say this- sleep is absolutely necessary for proper behavior. When I am up for hours tweaking because I want to work on this or that I will be very hyper, and if I only get 2 or 3 hours of sleep, the next day I am like a zombie.

When I'm not feeling great, then I am more likely to make bad decisions, or over react to things, which you know is how a panic attack starts, an over reaction to something which starts the OCD loop followed by the heart pounding etc.

Proper food, exercise, and rest. These three will do wonders
 
Lea

Lea

Banned
I have noticed that it's not so about lenghth of sleep, but it's quality. In any way I know that the days I wake up fully relaxed and recharged can be counted on fingers of one hand in a year. Usually I wake up with some pressure and discomfort in my head which I know will not go away even if I continue lying in bed, so I get up. And I also know if I am like this, I will be depressed that day. To be honest the last time I felt content and recharged after sleep was when I was taking my opioid medication at night. It was helping me so much.
 
mrb

mrb

Well-known member
i dont really get panic attacks but yes a little anxious sometimes ..... if im tired i dont feel so anxious ..... cos im tired lol but i do like to have at least 6 hours sleep and i usualy get 6 hours cos i work very hard .......
 
Nocer

Nocer

1
lack of sleep for me leads to physical pain all over, like a needles and pins kinda feeling.

i do not recommend lack of sleep
 
Lorraine Manca

Lorraine Manca

Well-known member
i really thought i was alone on this one, but not so! feeling benefits from sleep deprivation. its true then! when i have to do presentations or anything high stake, i dont go to sleep the night before. i feel very few inhibitions like that. its the most anxiety free state i can get in, but im useless after going that way for too long
 
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