A great place to start Disorder information source Rated and Reviewed Sleep Links Entrance to all monitored Sleep Forums Search all of Sleepnet.com


Insomnia Forum
Posting


Archived Insomnia Forum9. To post a new topic go to the Insomnia Forum Homepage.

Re: Afraid of not falling asleep

Posted by sleepychick on August 27, 2001 at 11:17:42:

In Reply to: Afraid of not falling asleep posted by Sandra on August 23, 2001 at 14:44:26:

Hey Sandra-

you are totally NOT crazy for feeling this way. feeling fear, and all the physical symptoms that come from it is your bodies natural "fight or flight" response to something you are perceiving as a danger to you...after so many nights of not sleeping, you are associating the night time aas a scary and unpleasant time of day. the key for you (or one of them in this early phase of the insomnia game) is to try to unlearn this unpleasant association. don't think about going to sleep-try to fill your nights with enjoyable activities. find a favorite tv show to watch-try staying out of bed until you are sleepy. make yourself as comfortable as possible (for me, this involves taking a warm shower and using some cool scented shower gel...) bring a pillow out to your tv room for some latenight relaxing without having the pressure of going to sleep. find a good book. if something needs to be done that you put off that is monotonous, do the dishes, or clean your toilet. you might feel a sense of accomplishment. DO NOT, i repeat DO NOT pay bills, have a fight with your significant other or do anything that might be remotely stimulating.

even though i am sure you are completely exhausted and just want to relax at home at the end of the day, stay in contact with people. call your friends up, talk to your family. let them know what is going on with you, but don't be frustrated if they do not understand what is going on with you...only another insomniac would get it. (this is a mistake I made early on). but having positive social contact is important-in that it even momentarily can relieve you of the owrry-and any relief from it is a good thing!

best of luck-keep me posted!

Follow Ups:


Archived Insomnia Forum9 To post a new topic go to the Insomnia Forum Homepage

  • IMPORTANT : Information not intended as medical advice. If you suspect that you have a sleep disorder you should seek care from a qualified professional. Read Terms of Use.
  • The Sleep Forums are not to be used for commercial purposes.
  • Commercial products and services are not endorsed by Sleepnet.com.
  • Sleep Deprivation due to Sleep Apnea and insufficient sleep are common and can present as insomnia, narcolepsy, or idiopathic hypersomnia. In infants and children sleep problems commonly present themselves as ADD or ADHD.


Copyright ©1995-2005 Sleepnet.com., All rights reserved