Submitted by Dream Doctor on
Somniphobia is the fear of falling asleep and staying asleep. You may feel that you will not be in control of what is happening around you when you sleep, or you may miss out on life if you’re not awake. Some people also fear that they will not wake up after having a good night’s rest.
Sleep anxiety is real and happens far more often than when it’s Halloween or after you’ve watched the latest horror flick. With the stress of everyday life, people have more and more on their plate than ever. If you are worried about a specific problem or your mind is racing with different thoughts consistently, chances are that you are experiencing a sleep disorder. You can also be waking up in the middle of the night often and have difficulties falling back asleep.
There are ways to improve and manage your sleep anxiety. Exercising or simply moving your body can reduce your anxieties and give you a more restful night. Make sure to get your physical activity during the early part of the day. Limit caffeine later in the day. It is also so important to make sure your sleeping environment is conducive to a good night’s sleep. Blackout curtains and turning off all electronic devices allow for calming your mind and staying asleep a lot easier. Some people can’t fall asleep if they’re hearing too much outside noise, so they turn on fans or white noise machines to help drown out the other sounds.1
Mental health symptoms specific to somniphobia might include:
- feeling fear and anxiety when thinking about sleeping
- experiencing distress as it gets closer to bedtime
- avoiding going to bed or staying up as long as possible
- having panic attacks when it’s time to sleep
- having trouble focusing on things besides sleep-related worry and fear
- experiencing irritability or mood swings
- having a hard time remembering things
Physical symptoms of somniphobia often include:
- nausea or other stomach issues related to persistent anxiety around sleep
- tightness in your chest and increased heart rate when thinking about sleep
- sweating, chills, and hyperventilation or other trouble breathing when you think about sleeping
- in children, crying, clinginess, and other resistance to bedtime, including not wanting caregivers to leave them alone
It’s not possible to entirely avoid sleeping. If you’ve had somniphobia for some time, you’re probably able to get some sleep most nights. But this sleep may not be very restful. You might wake up frequently and have trouble getting back to sleep.
Other signs of somnophobia revolve around coping techniques. Some people opt to leave on lights, a television, or music for distraction. Others may turn to substances, including alcohol, to reduce feelings of fear around sleep.
Experts aren’t sure about the exact cause of somniphobia. But but some sleep disorders could play a part in its development, including:
- Sleep paralysis. This sleep disorder occurs when you wake up from REM sleep with your muscles paralyzed, making it hard to move. You might experience nightmare-like hallucinations, which can make sleep paralysis very frightening, especially if you have recurring episodes.
- Nightmare disorder. This causes frequent, vivid nightmares that often cause distress throughout your day. You might find yourself thinking back to scenes from the nightmares, feel afraid of what happened in your dream, or worry about having more nightmares.2
It's the stuff Freddy Krueger is made of. Best to see a sleep expert if you are troubled.
https://gingrassleepmedicine.com/2020/10/15/sleep-anxiety-are-you-afraid-to-fall-asleep/
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