Though it seems morbid and unlikely, this idea often dominates the minds of those with somniphobia. If you think you may have somniphobia, talk to your primary healthcare provider. Automatonophobia is the fear of human-like figures, like mannequins, wax figures, or statues. Instead, remind yourself that tomorrow is a new day, and you’ll have a fresh and creative perspective after a full night of rejuvenating rest. Fear of sleep is proposed to either develop due to a fear of loss of control (i.e., negative beliefs about safety and loss of control), a fear of re-experiencing the traumatic event in the form of nightmares, or … Though it seems far-fetched, don’t discount it until you try it. Experiencing trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can both contribute to nightmares, can also cause a fear of sleep. Often, even though sleep problems start in the setting of fear, once the fear has passed, sleep problems continue because of changed thinking and behaviour around sleep. From figuring out how to buy a mattress online, suggesting ones that are good for different needs and body types, or breaking down the newest science behind technology and wellness breakthroughs, Sleep Advisor has you covered. Somniphobia causes extreme anxiety and fear around the thought of going to bed. If this fear is affecting your life, you have options to…, Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth. Worrying about dying in your sleep might eventually lead to a fear of falling asleep at all. Next, it may involve viewing images of people asleep who appear to be comfortably resting. When used as a treatment for insomnia, this form of therapy often focuses on helping patients let go of the fear that getting inadequate sleep will make them useless the next day. CBT may also help. / I was hiding from the world, I was a squirrel / But you chopped down my tree to get my fur / Fear … Yes, these two conditions are closely linked. One thing to keep in mind: there’s not much you can do about your worries from the bedroom. Fear of Sleep Mike Birbiglia got used to strange things happening to him when he slept—until something happened that almost killed him (Mike's story is now a feature film, Sleepwalk … Their brain is awake, but their body is still sleeping. While there’s no medication that specifically treats specific phobias, certain drugs can reduce symptoms of fear and anxiety and may be helpful when used along with therapy. With somniphobia, as with all phobias, the fear it causes is generally intense enough to affect your daily life, usual activities, and overall well-being. Last medically reviewed on April 29, 2019, Anxiety may occur at night when you're trying fall asleep. It can be seen in children, too, but they’ll usually outgrow it, either with the help of their parents or a behavioral specialist. How to Overcome the Fear of Going to Sleep (Somniphobia), Medical Definition of Fear of going to bed, The 9 Highest Rated Kids Sleeping Bags for 2021 Reviewed, 9 Highest Rated Sleeping Pads for Hammock – Updated for 2021, The Top 12 Mail Order Beds – Our 2021 Reviews, Best Mattress For Lower & Upper Back Pain – 2021 Reviews. They may worry that they’ll lose control of their body or speech, have horrific nightmares, or even that they’ll go to bed and never wake up again. If you’ve had somniphobia for some time, you’re probably able to get some sleep most nights. Podophobia – The fear of feet. Posted Aug 19, 2018 Somniphobia is a condition that causes extreme fear and anxiety about going to bed. We'll help you understand nyctophobia and how it can be treated. Another option for further exposure therapy is sleeping in a sleep lab or with a medical professional who stays awake while you sleep, whether it’s a nap or overnight. Our website services, content, and products are for informational purposes only. Stress causes anxiety and then anxiety leads to a lack of sleep … Lack of sleep can be an anxiety trigger, while anxiety can also lead to a lack of sleep. Some report that they’re increasingly afraid of sleeping after a traumatic incident like the death of a loved one, a physical attack or any other type of experience that results in PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). Even though we all know movies are make-believe, some of them are so well done that they’ll make you think twice about your safety. And when the sufferer does happen to fall unconscious, their rest is often fitful, low-quality, and frequently interrupted. In exposure therapy, you’ll work with a therapist to gradually expose yourself to your fear while working on ways to reduce fear and anxiety. Healthline Media does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Daytime drowsiness is common in those with a sleep-related phobia. If you are a sleepwalker, you might be concerned about injuring yourself or leaving your home and hurting others. They can give you an accurate diagnosis and support you through the process of overcoming it. People affected by this phobia are terrified of falling asleep. What Is Nyctophobia and How Is It Treated? If someone breaks into your home, there’s no one to alert or defend you. It might be tempting to stay awake and stew over every possible scenario, but that’s not productive. Commit to a regular, relaxing routine just … Plus, most of the causes of anxiety are treatable with simple shifts in mindset or routine. However, some people suffer from the so-called fear of sleep, also known as somniphobia, which leads to traumatic experiences and images of sleep. Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. You’re more likely to develop a specific phobia if you have a close family member who also has a phobia or a family history of anxiety. I have an intense fear of the dark and sleep caused by trauma and night terrors. This helps your body develop better sleep patterns, which can be helpful for somniphobia when combined with CBT. Having a bedtime rituals can help signal your body that it’s time for bed. Then, when you’ve mastered these cues, you may be encouraged to take brief naps — with a partner, parent, or trusted friend present in the house — to reinforce that you can wake up safely. One approach your therapist may recommend is sleep restriction. About 8% of Americans have this phobia. When we become conscious again, the ability to move is thankfully restored. It’s no easy task to let go of your worries, especially if they’re pressing or significant. If you think you're seeing, smelling, hearing, tasting, or feeling things when you're asleep, you may be experiencing hypnagogic hallucinations. For somniphobia, exposure therapy may include discussing the fear, using relaxation techniques, and then imagining what it would be like to get a good night sleep. acidophobia), and in medicine to describe hypersensitivity to a stimulus, usually sensory (e.g. People with this condition often have an abundance of stress hormones like cortisol in their system, which further acts to keep them wired and awake. Some cultures even believe that the body could be possessed by demons or spirits. Lack of sleep makes your more susceptible to stress. You may be diagnosed with somniphobia if your fear of sleeping: Not all phobias require treatment. If you’ve ever tried it, you know that two of the well-known benefits of Cannabis are better sleep, restorative sleep, and anxiety relief.. Plus, it’s well-researched and proven to relieve anxiety and … You might wake up frequently and have trouble getting back to sleep. The exact cause of nightmares is not known.Nightmares can be triggered by many factors, including: 1. As you can imagine, this could make someone fear the idea of going to bed at night. Other names for it include somniphobia, hypnophobia, sleep phobia, and sleep anxiety. But for some people, bad dreams occur every time they go to bed. But treatments can help. Put simply, sleep dread is the fear of falling asleep. Panic attacks occur when a person experiences a sudden onset of fear and distress. Paraskevidekatriaphobia – The fear of Friday the 13th. The longer you suffer from this phobia, the more likely you are to also suffer from chronic fatigue. Most people speak nonsense and gibberish when they talk during the night. You lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to shut off your racing mind. Stress or anxiety. Whether you have a mild fear of the dentist or a phobia that prevents you from going, we've outlined strategies and treatments to help. Panic attacks can also happen at night and possibly wake a person from sleep. Other names for it include somniphobia, hypnophobia, sleep phobia, and sleep anxiety. I am terryfied every single night. This phobia is rare, but there…. Nightmare disorder is referred to by doctors as a parasomnia — a type of sleep disorder that involves undesirable experiences that occur while you're falling asleep, during sleep or when you're waking up. First Impressions Of Earth (2006) Lyrics: How did anybody find out where I was? How did anybody find that out? A little knowledge relieved the hold of this phobia on me. Many have ruminated about the connections between nightly sleep and final sleep. Some people fear touching or looking at feet, even their own. It's related to a fear of choking. You could experience the same outcome by facing, and even welcoming, your fears. There’s also the sad and overly depressing thought that when you fall asleep alone, you’ll also wake up alone, and maybe you’re afraid of being alone your entire life. Transparency Disclosure – We may receive a referral fee (at no additional cost to the buyer) for products purchased through the links on our site or other applicable pages. agoraphobia), in chemistry to describe chemical aversions (e.g. photophobia). Here are the most common: Fortunately, this condition is rare in adults, though it does affect more women than men. If you’re aware there’s a risk of death associated with your health concern, you could become anxious about dying in your sleep and eventually develop somniphobia. Obesity.Sleeping too much or too little could make you weigh too much, as well. Because of the fear and anxiety … If you snore loudly and feel tired even after a full night's sleep, you might have sleep apnea.The main types of sleep apnea are: 1. We get to crawl under the covers, relax, and enjoy several hours of peaceful, uninterrupted shuteye. Remember when we said to develop a nightly routine to help you fall asleep? Additionally, anxiety can cause serious sleep issues, such as insomnia. You might also fear things that could happen while you’re sleeping, such as a burglary, fire, or other disaster. Obstructive sleep apnea, the more common form that occurs when throat muscles relax 2. But but some sleep disorders could play a part in its development, including: If you have either of these sleep disorders, you may eventually start dreading going to sleep because you don’t want to deal with distressing symptoms. This approach helps you identify and work through fears related to sleep. Fear Does Our Fear of Sleep Mirror Our Fear of Death? How to Cope with Megalophobia, or a Fear of Large Objects, How to Overcome Erythrophobia, or the Fear of Blushing, Understanding Automatonophobia: Fear of Human-Like Figures, Understanding Arachibutyrophobia: Fear of Peanut Butter Sticking to the Roof of Your Mouth, feeling fear and anxiety when thinking about sleeping, experiencing distress as it gets closer to bedtime, avoiding going to bed or staying up as long as possible, having trouble focusing on things besides sleep-related worry and fear, nausea or other stomach issues related to persistent anxiety around sleep, tightness in your chest and increased heart rate when thinking about sleep, sweating, chills, and hyperventilation or other trouble breathing when you think about sleeping, in children, crying, clinginess, and other resistance to bedtime, including not wanting caregivers to leave them alone, negatively affects physical or emotional health, causes persistent anxiety and distress related to sleep, causes problems at work, school, or in your personal life, causes you to put off or avoid sleep as much as possible. Because of the fear and anxiety associated with falling asleep, the person suffering from it may find that they’re unable to fall asleep, despite being exhausted. You might also fear things that could happen while … / How did anybody find that out? While some of these worries have no grounds in logic, others are genuine fears that carry a significant risk. When someone has somniphobia, they’ll often report that their nightmares are so disturbing and realistic that they don’t want to go to bed for fear of reliving those visions. In common usage, they also … Proper sleep hygiene is usually the first place to start when treating a disorder. Those suffering from anxiety disorders may also have this type of phobia. Thus, Somniphobia is the fear of sleeping or falling asleep. For example, if you have a sleep disorder, addressing that issue may resolve your somniphobia. When we sleep, our brain shuts down much of our body movements. You’ll learn to challenge the thoughts when you experience them and reframe them so they cause less distress. Central sleep apnea, which occurs when your brain doesn't send proper signals to the muscles that control breathin… Somniphobia has also been linked to a fear of dying. This practice involves going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, avoiding caffeine in the afternoon and evening, keeping your bedroom dark, and avoiding naps after lunch. They can give you a referral to a mental health professional with experience diagnosing and treating phobias. It is also called ‘Hypnophobia’, the fear of being … But for most cases, exposure therapy is the most effective treatment option. Poor Sleep Cycle — If you have had anxiety or trouble falling asleep for a long time then a pattern of poor sleep may have developed. But for those who have somnophobia, or fear of sleep, the idea of falling asleep is terrifying. Have you ever thought that you might go to bed and never wake up? How you, as parents and/or … All rights reserved. Someone with insomnia may not have a sleep phobia; however, someone that does have this phobia is almost certainly suffering from insomnia because they’re scared to fall asleep. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), over 50 percent of adults say … In many cases, this phobia may stem less from a fear of sleep itself and more from a fear of what might happen while you’re asleep. Most of us experience nightmares on occasion. When the body doesn’t get enough rest, the parasympathetic, or “fight-or-flight,” mechanism goes into full effect. hydrophobic), in biology to describe organisms that dislike certain conditions (e.g. When left untreated or if the person’s lifestyle doesn’t change, the mood disorder could become chronic. The mind is powerful, and by changing your perspective or mindset, change is possible. People with this condition are sleep-deprived, and this causes both irritability and moodiness. Sleep deprivation can worsen anxiety, spurring a negative cycle … Get More Info: How To Get Off Sleeping Pills. If you’re not getting enough shuteye at night, you’ll most certainly be tired during the day. Sleep disorders can cause some anxiety around sleeping. Megalophobia, or the fear of large objects can mean an intense fear of things like skyscrapers, large animals, and expansive spaces. Being afraid of sleeping alone could be caused by a variety of factors. Fear of Sleep Lyrics: How did anybody find out where I was? By acknowledging that your bedtime could be interrupted, and even expecting it, the brain begins to relax and allows you to get the rest you need. Usually, phobias are diagnosed if fear and anxiety cause distress and difficulty in your everyday life. Not only is it potentially embarrassing, but it could be dangerous. Good sleep is an essential part of good health. Try something relaxing and structured, like having a cup of hot, herbal tea before sleep, reading pages from a boring book, or doing a facial cleansing routine. You may even want to say them aloud. It might involve cognitive behavioral therapy, medications, or even rehearsal therapy. By doing the same thing each evening right before bed, you’ll eventually train yourself to fall asleep almost automatically. Some people opt to leave on lights, a television, or music for distraction. During periods of rest, the brain uses this downtime to learn, process information, and consolidate memories. Experts aren’t sure about the exact cause of somniphobia. Don't face mental health challenges alone. Put simply, sleep dread is the fear of falling asleep. But this sleep may not be very restful. Tell yourself it’s okay to have a bad night or two, and that whatever interruptions you face during the night, you’ll be able to handle. The most severe cases might require the help of an expert, but again, there are plenty of professionals who can assist with talk therapy, hypnotherapy, psychotherapy or gradual desensitization. And Ki … Erythrophobia, which is an intense, irrational, and persistent fear of blushing, can affect your quality of life. These can be … Not completely, but I actually look forward to snuggling into my cozy futon when I am tired at night. It's impossible to name all of the possible fears that people can have, but here's a list of the most common and unique ones, including a fear of…. Others may turn to substances, including alcohol, to reduce feelings of fear around sleep. By giving a voice to what’s troubling you, you may find that when you hear it, doesn’t sound so awful after all. Sometimes an objective party with medical training is the best choice. Phobias often develop in childhood, so you may not remember exactly when your fear began or why. We still recommend it, but we should caution against the use of unhealthy habits to encourage drowsiness. These thoughts might be related to sleep itself, or the specific fear that causes anxiety around sleeping. Having a sleep disorder or serious medical condition might also increase your risk. While experiencing anxiety attacks may cause many people to feel exhausted or fatigued, the act of falling asleep may actually … There are countless stories of people falling or harming others in this unconscious state. But if you have somniphobia, it can be distressing to even think about sleeping. Fear of sleep is fear of the unknown. Frequently experiencing nightmares or sleep paralysis also contribute to sleep-related worrying. Instead, learn how to get the support you need to thrive. In some horror movies, the hero of the story defeats the monster by confronting it head-on and denouncing all fear. Not getting enough rest due to this type of disorder affects cognitive abilities, including memory loss. This translated to the fear of sleep. A scary movie may make you feel nervous about going to bed. We also encourage you to read about how we may research and/or test Products here. If you’re experiencing this condition, follow our tips to on how to overcome sleep dread. But sleep deprivation can have serious physical and mental health consequences. When deprived of these hours, the brain’s ability to hang on to memories becomes compromised. Another possibility is that by speaking the words, your brain is able to let go of the fear and allow you to fall asleep. Instead of the rewarding feeling of restful … Somniphobia can cause a range of other mental and physical symptoms. For example, alcohol or sleeping pills may help you get through a night or two but shouldn’t become a habit. There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to better health and better rest, but no one has time to sleep, let alone figure out how to upgrade the sleep they’re getting. My fear of sleep/th3e dark is coming back and it's ruining me. And worse, if people are too scared to get their nightly dose of zzz’s, they’ll experience other health challenges as well since sleeping is necessary for both physical and mental well-being. Read on to learn more about somniphobia, including symptoms, causes, and treatment approaches. The thought of sleepwalking is scary for nearly everyone. Fortunately, the risk of dying in one’s sleep is low for people with decent overall health. Because the sleep debt has become so severe, the entire circadian rhythm is thrown off balance, which also affects hormones and all sorts of bodily functions. Sleep is a funny thing, isn’t it? SleepAdvisor.org is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. To learn more, please read our full disclosure page here. Ensuring a Restful Environment Establish a bedtime ritual. Nightmares usually occur during the stage of sleep known as rapid eye movement (REM). In some cases, it’s fairly easy to avoid the object your fear. If you have insomnia, for example, you might worry throughout the day about being able to sleep that night. Practicing mindfulness exercises like deep breathing and meditation before sleep are extremely helpful. Or you fall asleep but can’t stay asleep and find … Talking about fear of sleeplessness when presenting CBT-I as an option, or at the start of sleep restriction, might encourage more sleep onset insomniacs to try it and stick with it long enough … A trained doctor or specialist may be able to diagnose your problem and recommend a course of treatment relatively quickly. A psychiatrist may prescribe beta blockers or benzodiazepines for short-term or occasional use: Your doctor may also recommend a short-term sleep aid to help you get better sleep while addressing your phobia in therapy. This involves going to bed and getting up at specific times, regardless of how much sleep you actually get. However, if you’re harboring a secret or feel worried about what you might say when you’re unconscious, it may lead to a phobia. Mental health symptoms specific to somniphobia might include: Physical symptoms of somniphobia often include: It’s not possible to entirely avoid sleeping.