Are You Afraid To Sleep? 12 Signs Of Suffering From Somniphobia
Do you feel afraid when sleeping? Do you think you’ll go to sleep and not wake up? Discover what somniphobia is, what its consequences are and how to detect it before it gets worse.
For a large part of people, going to sleep is a moment of relaxation and pleasure. However, people who suffer from somniphobia or fear of sleeping, the idea of a night’s rest can even be terrifying. But why does this sleep phobia happen and how can we address it?
The sleep phobia or somniphobia implies an irrational fear of falling asleep. In this way, people who suffer from this fear of sleeping often think that by doing so they will not be able to wake up in the morning. This disorder is also known as hypnophobia or clinophobia.
This anxiety and fear that they experience usually greatly harm the lives of those who suffer from it since they have difficulty falling asleep despite being tired and even if they manage to sleep little, their rest is fragmented or of poor quality.
Besides of affraid to die People with this sleep phobia may suffer from it due to other sleep disorders, such as frequently experiencing nightmares or sleep paralysis.
Symptoms of sleep phobia
There are a series of psychological and physical symptoms that accompany somniphobia Among the most common we find the following:
What is the difference between somniphobia and insomnia?
Although a person with fear of sleeping suffers from many of the symptoms of insomnia, the reality is that they are not the same. On the one hand, somniphobia is an anxiety disorder and it is a fear that prevents people from sleeping even when they are tired. Normally, people who experience this type of anxiety before sleeping usually have this phobia due to fears related to health problems, the idea of dying, worry about nightmares or nocturnal behaviors.
Insomnia, on the other hand, is a chronic sleep disorder that makes it difficult for people who suffer from it to fall asleep or stay asleep. That is, it is not related to a phobia or fear of sleeping
What causes this fear of sleeping and not waking up?
There are different reasons why someone may experience this. fear of sleeping overnight. Most experts suggest that this phobia is not due to the dream itself, but rather the fear that something may happen while resting. This phobia of sleeping has some causes common to most cases:
Anxiety: A person diagnosed with an anxiety disorder may have a general fear around both sleep and the night. In fact, during the night you have fewer distractions which can increase your anxiety and cause this fear of stopping breathing while sleeping or die during sleep
Somnambulism: Sleepwalking is often diagnosed with the help of a family member, roommate, or partner. This can make the sleepwalker feel embarrassed or nervous about what he or she did during the episode, which can lead to this fear of everything related to going to sleep.
Fear of death: In some cases the fear of sleeping It may come from worrying about dying in your sleep.
Traumas: The anxiety before sleeping and this phobia can be related to the experience of a traumatic event such as the death of a loved one, a physical attack or any type of past situation that leads to post-traumatic stress disorder and affects sleep.
If you are experiencing this type of phobia, it is important to treat it in time due to all the consequences you may suffer:
Daytime sleepiness: When a person does not get enough sleep at night, they will inevitably be tired the next day. In fact, daytime sleepiness is very common in people with a phobia or fear of dreams
Chronic fatigue: If this fear of sleeping lasts for a long time, people often suffer from chronic fatigue, which can lead to memory problems, difficulty concentrating and even dizziness.
Humor changes: Lack of sleep caused by this fear of sleeping and not waking up or any fear around sleep, can contribute to the person being more irritable and having negative moods. In fact, research shows that not getting enough sleep can lead to irritability and negative moods.
Memory loss: Not getting enough rest due to somniphobia It can also wreak havoc on your cognitive abilities, including everything related to memory. This happens since it is during periods of rest when our brain processes information and consolidates memories.
How to deal with the fear of sleeping?
Improving sleep hygiene is generally recommended for people who suffer from somniphobia The reason for this is that routines allow us to better manage this psychological problem in those who suffer from it. Additionally, it is important to see a mental health professional before the symptoms of not sleeping get worse. Some tips to deal with the fear of sleeping are as follows:
Practice good sleep hygiene: Engaging in positive rituals before bedtime can ease your anxiety and help you sleep better. You can check all the sleep habits in this article.
Avoid unhealthy habits: Some people often face this fear of sleeping through unhealthy strategies, such as alcohol or drugs. Although this may help at first, the reality is that they tend to worsen the problem and put you in more danger for your physical and mental health.
Keep a journal: Writing down your thoughts and feelings can help you manage the sleep phobia In fact, it can give you clues that allow you to better understand the fear of sleeping and know how to handle it.
He fear of sleeping It can harm us in many ways. For this reason, it is important to go to a professional psychologist to be able to treat it before you suffer more consequences of not getting a good rest at night.
