"Anticipatory Anxiety"

[PublicHealth]

I find it difficult to sleep the night before a big exam (e.g., MCAT). Is there any medication that may help induce sleep? I have tried Xanax, but it did not help. Beta blockers?

If anyone is in narrative mode, could you sketch out a thumbnail of the psychopharmacology of these drugs?

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[Darth Vader]

You could try a beta blocker like propanolol, or you could try a higher dose of your xanax or switch to ativan or valium. Another option would be taking an ssri every night like paxil or lexapro, benadryl the night before a test might work too. The best therapy would be to not study too much the night before, make sure that you get some exercise during the daytime, and don't stress out about getting a good night's sleep before the exam because not getting enough sleep for one night isn't going to effect your overall performance.

 

[DD214_DOC]

Or you could avoid drugs and try something like BMod or CBT. I have horrible Anticipatory Anxiety, but I found martial arts really helped to supress it. Trying to figure out why.

 

[emedCleo]

As long as you are getting enough sleep normally, one bad night isn't a big deal. It shouldn't affect your performance on an exam that much. Resting in bed with your eyes closed will serve some of the same purposes as sleeping.

Taking meds for anticipatory anxiety for exams can be self defeating because some of the side effects can be hangovers and mental status changes such as confusion and temporary memory loss.

JMHO

Cleo