Article August 21, 2006 Issue

A PEACEFUL NIGHT'S SLEEP ASSURED

BY TERRI MEEHAN

A little over a year ago, I went through a period where I had difficulty sleeping at night. I had no trouble falling asleep, but I'd end up wide awake in the early morning hours with my heart beating rapidly. My husband was away on business, and I was all alone, which made me feel more anxious. The more it happened, the more frightened I became. I had no idea what was happening to me, and I dreaded going to sleep.

I was fine when I was awake—which left me even more confused. I couldn't pinpoint a cause for this sudden disruption of sleep. From things I'd seen in the media, the racing heart and acute anxiety could point toward panic attacks. But there didn't seem to be any reason for them to occur; I had no particular reason to feel stressed or panicked.

I decided to keep a journal to record my thoughts, hoping this would help me identify any subconscious fears. But if I did have concerns, they never surfaced. I felt as though I was getting nowhere.

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