I hate going to bed when i'm not tired as i see faces of strangers in my mind

[PB12]

Hi guys. I am new to this place but felt I should really join a forum like this as I have had problems for the last 15 years with Anxiety.

I just wondered if anyone else ever dreads going to bed when they're not tired and ready to sleep? I lie there and all these horrible faces come into my head and it then kicks off a panic attack. All I can do is turn the lights on and it sorts me out but I hate it!!

Does anyone else have a similar problem?

[DragonLilly]

I have terrible nightmares and thoughts when I try to sleep. Faces of people trying to abuse me in one way or another, I get very stressed and I can lay awake for hours or I toss and turn all night.
I don't have an answer on how to help you as I stay up until I am exhausted and I have no choice but to sleep. Which isn't very healthy. I suggest seeing the doctor and perhaps finding some calming methods to help you sleep?
For me I get ipod and turn the music on as high as I can handle. It stops me thinking and makes me relax, though it doesn't always work.

[Buttercup]

I think when you start having horrible visuals in your head the best thing to do is try and counteract them with more positive visualisations. This sounds weird but when I was at uni I had a part time job in a deli. In this deli there was an electronic meat slicer that freaked me out because of how sharp the blade was on it. Anyway, when I was anxious and trying to sleep whenever I closed my eyes I would have visions of this really sharp circular blade coming towards me. So what i did was visualise myself in a bubble or with a force field around me and when the blade came close it would just bounce off or melt. Reading that back makes me sound like a right weirdo! However, it did help so maybe you could try visualising their faces morphing into more beautiful faces or faces of loved ones. Worth a try!