Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi, I'm hoping someone here might have some advice on what I can do about my anxiety with sleep.
I've always hated sleeping. I didn't like the dark as a kid and I always felt uneasy when it started to get dark and then I would feel anxious all through the night. However it's now reached a point where it's starting to affect my life in a big way... at night I have frequent panic attacks and my anxiety now is less about the dark and more about sleep itself.
I hate sleep. I don't like it and I don't know why. I just feel intense anxiety about sleeping and it's led to me trying to stay awake all night which is now starting to impact my health in a negative way.
I can't explain how much dread I get when it comes to sleeping. I don't know why this is affecting me so much but it's a problem and I'm not sure what to do to get over it.
I don't know exactly what causes it whether it's autism or mental health problems. I have both but I don't know which is driving this.
Of course I can't say anything about the possible causes of your problem. It might be best to talk to a mental health professional about this. But have you ever tried relaxation techniques before falling asleep? For example, you could concentrate on your breathing with your eyes closed and breathe in and out as deeply and slowly as possible. The body cannot be relaxed and in a state of excitement at the same time. Additionally, you could imagine something pleasant. That could perhaps increase the positive effect. I have problems with claustrophobia, especially when I have an MRI scan and am pushed into the narrow "tube". then I close my eyes and concentrate on breathing in and out slowly. I also imagine a wide flower meadow. This works for me. Ideally, you should start the relaxation exercise before the anxiety sets in. If you do this regularly, your body may also "learn" that sleep is not dangerous and you would no longer be afraid of falling asleep.