You jolt awake in the dark. Your heart is pounding so hard it feels like it might burst through your chest. For a moment, you don’t know where you are. The room is quiet. There’s no noise, no danger, no obvious reason. And yet, your body feels like an alarm has been pulled.
You check the clock: 2:43 AM. Or 3:07 AM. Or some other hour when the rest of the world seems to be sleeping peacefully.
Part of you is terrified—“Is something wrong with me?” Another part of you is exhausted and frustrated—“Why is this happening again?” You might already know that anxiety tends to intensify at night, but this feels different. This is in your body. This is your heart.