I have Somniphobia, need advice

[Ripple]

for those of you you can't read latin it translates to the fear of sleeping.

I have not been getting any sleep at all over the past week and has really been affecting my school work now more than ever. I have had this problem for about 3 years or so and I can't really seem to get over it. I don't know what I am really fearing when I feel tired but I stay awake for as long as possible, people just first assume that I fear dying in my sleep but I don't think so. yesterday(today really) I went to bed at 2:30am and got up at 5 because of swim practice, and I've been up since then and more. I just seem to get scared as I crawl into bed and cover up. I haven't slept for more than 6 hours in a very long time.


any advice to help me relax and actually get a good nights sleep is deeply appreciated

 

[Xsyven]

Ambien CR.

 

[Ripple]

not drugs, they usually don't affect me. I have to take 4 ibuprofens (sp?) just to stop a headache because I'm 6' 7" and about 240

 

[Crimson King]

Ambien will level you. Believe me.

Otherwise, you may need to go to the doctor.

What is with the recent batch of people posting serious medical conditions on SWF. No one here is even remotely able to help you (Baha and Gid are only in Medical school, but they probably wouldn't give advice anyway). Go to the doctor!

 

[Smash legacy]

Well I got some advice. There is Melatonin if you havent tried it. Melatonin is the stuff that puts you to sleep in the first place. Though I caution you because all pills have different effects on other people, but this stuff helped me and its natural. I know some people that use it and it helped them with no noticeable side effects.

If your afraid to sleep is it because of really bad nightmares? I get them sometimes, I know that if I sleep with the t.v on and a good show I wont dream very often let alone having nightmares. But when I sleep without the t.v Ill sometimes get deep dreams and nightmares. I say sometimes because it doesnt happen every time. Yea melatonin works see when the sun goes down your body releases melatonin that makes you tired, so if you dont sleep then its like your internal clock gets set forward untill you end up going to sleep at like 2 in the morning. You should check with the docter first before taking melatonin or anything else first. The t.v thing has happened to other people I know so mabey it will work with you.

 

[bluezaft]

Lemme ask you this, would you still be just as anxious sleeping on your living room couch or on the floor or even outside in a sleeping bag? If not, you might be associating your bed with anxiety or some other complicated psychology deal. I would suggest you spend the night sleeping next to someone, but that would be incredibly awkward unless you have a girlfriend.

 

[adumbrodeus]

Yeah, sounds like a psychological issue, I'd say a psychiatrist is your best bet, if it's fear-based I doubt a general practitioner will be able to do much more then give a referral. That said, you might need one to see a psychiatrist.

Do this ASAP!

 

[Livvers]

I say you should see a psychologist, too. You're letting a fear disrupt your normal life, and not sleeping is going to have awful effects on your body.

If you don't want to spend money on the psychologist, try to talk to close friends or family members for advice, or maybe try to look up some official websites about this fear to see if you can get any information.

 

[simplicityho]

Listen to more BT.

 

[Aeriath]

When you first lay down direct your mind to think of something that makes you calm. After you have that in your mind, starting with your feet, tense each muscle for ten seconds and then relax. So you would start with like your right foot, tense, count, relax. Then move to left foot, up your legs, abs, chest, arms, head and whatever else. By the time you're all done with this your body should be very relaxed and ready to go to sleep. As far as your thoughts go, it's very important to keep bringing them back to the thing that makes you relax. It's ok to wander a bit but just keep bringing them back. The best of luck to you.

 

[supersonicdjs]

When I go to bed every night, I just think how much as$ I'm going to kick with Sonic's Spindash and Meteor Smash! Then I think of PK starstorm and how awesome Lucas's accent is when he says it. Then I think of Corneria in Melee. Then I go to sleep.

Sometimes I have dreams that lead me into a depression....Making me have thoughts of suicide.

 

[Varuna]

I HIGHLY suggest not listening to the people telling you to take ambien. Ambien is for people who won't resist going to sleep when its time to go to sleep and since this is a phobia you are dealing with its highly likely you will stay up with the ambien and start hallucinating, you'll also be scared to start with because this is a phobia so I doubt they will be happy hallucinations.


There are people who take ambien just to stay awake and experience hallucinations and they say it happens 90% of the time.

 

[OffTheChain]

Drugs may not be the answer but then again I don't really have one for you, working about is a good way to tire yourself out.

 

[Livvers]

Yeah, don't hop straight to medications. Sleeping pills are for people with sleep problem who want to get to sleep normally, not for people who are afraid of falling asleep.

 

[Dodongo]

Varuna is right, Ambien makes you a zombie who sees crazy stuff, really wouldn't recommend it for regular use. For whatever reason, when I was young I was always afraid to go to sleep because I thought only the waking hours were real existence and thus to sleep was to dance with death. So, every night when I went to bed I read books by flashlight until I fell asleep without realizing it.

Sleep is inevitable and also essential to mental and physical health. It would probably help you a lot to focus on dreams. If you want them to be, your dreams can be an amazing tool to explore yourself with. The human mind is the most profound place imaginable (no pun intended), but when you realize you are in control of everything that happens in your dreams, you can start looking forward to where you will go each night.

For inciting sleep, please keep pharmaceuticals as a last resort, chamomile tea works just as well. Also, the melatonin you get from exposure to sunlight helps one find rest at the end of the day, go outside more if you don't much.

 

[Ripple]

I HIGHLY suggest not listening to the people telling you to take ambien. Ambien is for people who won't resist going to sleep when its time to go to sleep and since this is a phobia you are dealing with its highly likely you will stay up with the ambien and start hallucinating, you'll also be scared to start with because this is a phobia so I doubt they will be happy hallucinations.


There are people who take ambien just to stay awake and experience hallucinations and they say it happens 90% of the time.

took the words right out of my mouth, I was also thinking that I would fear it more if I took meds to make me more tired.

Varuna is right, Ambien makes you a zombie who sees crazy stuff, really wouldn't recommend it for regular use. For whatever reason, when I was young I was always afraid to go to sleep because I thought only the waking hours were real existence and thus to sleep was to dance with death. So, every night when I went to bed I read books by flashlight until I fell asleep without realizing it.

Sleep is inevitable and also essential to mental and physical health. It would probably help you a lot to focus on dreams. If you want them to be, your dreams can be an amazing tool to explore yourself with. The human mind is the most profound place imaginable (no pun intended), but when you realize you are in control of everything that happens in your dreams, you can start looking forward to where you will go each night.

For inciting sleep, please keep pharmaceuticals as a last resort, chamomile tea works just as well. Also, the melatonin you get from exposure to sunlight helps one find rest at the end of the day, go outside more if you don't much.

thank you, I will try the tea(I hate it though, but sleep is too important) and I will go outside more.

also, does meditating help you rest too? I've never been in deep thought but someone suggested it elsewhere.

 

[Red Exodus]

I have trouble sleeping now too, but that's only because I saw some mindf*** images that scared the crap out of me, eventually I get over it and go to sleep but I'm really tense before I go to sleep now.

You should seek conseling and see what they say.

 

[Pikaville]

That truly sucks.Sorry man. I have no advise but the guys in this forum will help if they can believe me.