Fear to sleep. Day-to-day life happily!

Experiencing trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can both contribute to nightmares, can also cause a fear of sleep. You might also fear things that could happen while you're sleeping, such as a burglary, fire, or other disaster. Or Somniphobia is the fear of falling asleep and staying asleep.  You may feel that you will not be in control of what is happening around you when you sleep, or you may miss out on life if you’re not awake. Some people also fear that they will not wake up after having a good night’s rest.

Discuss your underlying symptoms and about yourself with psychologist. Take psychological evaluation which will help to find the intensity of your condition. Contact me for further assistance

Treatment may depend on the underlying cause of somniphobia. For example, if you have a sleep disorder, addressing that issue may resolve your somniphobia. But for most cases, exposure therapy is the most effective treatment option. Exposure therapy 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. 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. Next, it may involve viewing images of people asleep who appear to be comfortably resting. 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. 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. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) CBT may also help. This approach helps you identify and work through fears related to sleep. You’ll learn to challenge the thoughts when you experience them and reframe them so they cause less distress. These thoughts might be related to sleep itself, or the specific fear that causes anxiety around sleeping. One approach your therapist may recommend is sleep restriction. This involves going to bed and getting up at specific times, regardless of how much sleep you actually get. This helps your body develop better sleep patterns, which can be helpful for somniphobia when combined with CBT.