Afraid to fall asleep

[Ally24]

Iv been having panic attacks for about three months now and theyre really startin to get the better of me!my gp recommended i see a CBT,iv had numerous sessions and haven really found it helpful,i find it very hard to do any of the breathing techniques without freaking out thinkin im not breathin properly!lately iv developed a huge fear of fallin asleep cos i keep thinkin i wont wake up again.iv always had a huge fear of death but the attacks seem to make the fear greater.anybody else suffer like this?

[Mark13]

Welcome to the forum.

I have a intermittent phobia of sleep, probably related to a fear of death, but definitely related to a life-saving operation / trauma when I was 12.

I think you'll find it eases as your anxiety is treated.

[Ally24]

I really hope so!i jus feel so exhausted from not sleeping and being in a constant battle with all the symptoms from the panic attacks which seem to stay with me for weeks on end!its gettin very frustrating not being able to lead a normal life and jus bein overtaken by worry and fear!

[Mark13]

My sleep phobia tends to reassert itself when I'm sleep deprived, in that I'm then thinking and worrying about sleep.

When I'm sleeping OK (albeit with the help of Mirtazapine) I don't think about sleep, because I expect to sleep and therefore it happens more naturally.