fear of sleep

[SakuraFett]

So I was just wondering how many of you are afraid to sleep? I have had a fear of going to sleep since I was a child because I'm afraid I won't wake up. I think that fear started with that child's bedtime prayer because of the line "if I die before I wake". Anyways, my fear of sleep can be weird because I will fight sleep pretty hard and if I fall asleep and wake up I usually freak out that I fell asleep without realizing it. When I wake up after accidentally falling asleep I try to keep myself awake by eating and watching tv. The eating thing can be pretty bad because I will eat junk food and drink pop which usually gives me heartburn when I wake up. So I was just wondering if anyone else does or has done this. Also if you used to do it and have stopped how did you get over it?

[Chauntecler]

Sometimes I feel like I won't wake up. Started having Hypnic Jerks, which felt like my heart was stopping or I'd lurch forward gasping for air like I couldn't breath.

It hasn't bothered me too much in awhile, and I think that's mostly due to the mindset you put yourself in. One of the anxiety self-help questions I found worked for me: How likely is it that it's going to happen?

[NixonRulz]

I did fear to go to sleep but for the reason that I always felt my heart pounding so friggin hard as I was dozing off

And once I got over that after quite a while, I started having panic attacks in my sleep

That fun lasted for quite a while as well

Come to think of it, I suppose I am pretty bored without those things going to bed

[gypsylee]

Wow, my problem has always been the exact opposite. I started having problems falling asleep when I was a child and I still freak out about it sometimes.

I guess the way I look at it is, if you die in your sleep you won't know. But if you're awake all night you'll sure know about it. I crave sleep and go absolutely crazy without it because I need a break from being awake!

I do understand your fear though.

All the best :)
Gypsy x

[trivedisites]

Yeah, I did this sometimes. :)

[Anxiety34]

That happened to me when I first experienced anxiety.

[Kuma]

This shows how diverse our experiences can be. I love sleep. And when I am most anxious, I love sleep even more, as it offers a respite from anxiety. Of course, it is not always easy to fall asleep when feeling anxious, but that's a different question...

[willheal]

"if I die before I wake"

This struck a chord with me. I think you made me realize where my sleep fears originated from, gosh. My dad taught me that one and I remember that part bothering me a lot. When I'm falling asleep I also kinda have this feeling like I'm resigning control of my body and senses which is really an unsettling thought.

I had severe insomnia at several points in my life, which always evolve into some terrible polyphasic sleep issue that make it impossible to keep a daily routine. Right now I sleep regularly, but I'm still really scared to go to sleep. I'm hyper-vigilant until I fall into deep sleep. My girlfriend sometimes sends me shooting up with the slightest noise and I'll go right into panic mode (50/50 chance I won't remember these when they happen, but they're a lot like hypnic jerks). Once I'm deeply asleep though, I can't be disturbed.