Fear of bedtime

[cheskia]

I have such trouble at night going to sleep. It seems at night the anx really kicks in and it happens alot. Laying in bed in the dark is awful the slightest feeling in my body is something terrible happening to me. I also dear not waking up when i sleep. I put of going to sleep till i cant keep my eyes open anymore and it really screws up my body clock. It sounds silly but it feels like im sacred of sleep :(

[angel 2]

Hi CHeskia
I am exactly the same. You can't stop thinking about it in the day, worried about going to bed that night because it is all going to start again, and feeling so tired because you haven't slept. I lie in bed and tell myself 'everybody goes to sleep,it's natural, we need it,and I'm going to look an awful mess in the morning if I don't ' I tend to sleep on the settee in an evening but at least I've got some sleep in.I am waiting to see a CBT therapist maybe they can help with my thoughts.

[miss_moose]

Hiya, I feel the same, laying there in pitchblack and silence really unsettles me. I came up with a solution though which i've been doing for years now that helps.
I sleep with the tv on, its on silent now but i used to have the sound on very low so i could still hear it but so it wasnt too loud to disturb me.
I set up all programs that i like to come on at different times then use the transmitter to feed it from our lounge tv to our bedroom tv.
Now i make 6hour vhs' with Friends on, as it's my comfort program, and press play when i'm ready to go to sleep so i'f i wake up in the night there's always something comforting on tv.

It's much better than a night light because you have instant pictures and sounds to wake upto and don't feel alone.

[justbananas]

yeah .. i felt this way very strongly especially when my boyfriend and i first broke up. we'd lived together for 5 years and over the course of those years i'd developed pretty extreme anxiety, whereas before when i'd been at uni or lived alone, i was totally fine on my own. but when he left and i had to get used to going to bed alone - omg, it was awful. i too sometimes leave the tv on, though i notice that disturbs the quality of my sleep. so i downloaded these yoga-esque tapes to my ipod, the kind you'd hear at a spa while getting a massage. enya type things.. which i normally hate but it does help me stay somewhat distracted and lulls me into sleep. if i wake up and i'm REALLY about to go into a panic from a deep sleep - i keep my iphone or my laptop nearby to reach for. although that might wake me up completely, i find it also helps if i'm about to freak out as it connects me with the outside world. also got a perscription for ambien CR .. so on nights where you simply cannot do it - pop one of those and good to go.

[panicagain]

I hate bedtime! I get very uneasy when it starts getting dark. I sleep with the tv on too. The tv helps if i wake at night especially if there's something on that i enjoy, it sometimes takes my mind off things.

[Alexy]

Im exactly the same, I lie awake worrying about not only my own health issues, but im also worried about all my family and friends too..

I hate bedtimes:(

Id try and have a bath before you go to bed, that tends to make me nice and sleepy, might help a bit:)

[miss_worry]

I had the same fears as you guys. When you lay awake in the dark every sound and movement seems 1000 times magnified and also the worrying thoughts go through my head. What I try and do now is lay there and tell myself "stop thinking now and worry tomorrow morning". This somehow comforts me. I know this might be easier said than done when in the height of anxiety and every muscle twitch sets of a chain reaction of other symptoms but try and relax and tell yourself to stay calm and think of something nice. When I wake up I forget what I was actually worrying about because for me everything seems clearer in the morning and actually wonder why I had those feelings in the first place?! Hope this helps.

x

[jadeyjade]

i too am afraid of bed time! i really think i wont wake up, so i dont get to sleep til really late then im tired and feel worse!

[Granny Primark]

I also have the same fear.
If im not really tired I sleep with the tv on.
My mum died in her sleep so I suppose my fear is understandable.

[alfisback1]

I hear ya, I find myself going to bed 2/3 hours later than I should, I have to force myself to become very tired before I can actually fall asleep.

[xBettyBoopx]

Can you leave a lamp on? Then you won't be in the dark completely. Also when I was going through this, I kept the tv on very low too. I have got over it mostly, so it can be done. I would have massive panic attacks b4 I'd even got into bed just thinking about it. I used to stay up until it was light & I could hear my neighbour about. But I'm ok most of the time now. You can do it.

Take care
Els
xxx

[majdle]

Oh yeah!!! I know it all toooooo well. I am also scared of bedtime, because all of the symptoms, all of the fears, the whole anxiety thing gets magnified with the darkness and silence around. IT's probably because you are deprived of the visual things,s o you focus more on your body and - here it comes again. I feel so awkward about it - I thought only kids were afraid to get to bed at night, but I'm no better. Having a cell phone nearby seems to help. I'd sms with my friends and then just doze off. Watching a movie also helps. I also read something very positive, sweet, uncomplicated - it seems to set my mind and peace. And you know what? I work shifts and the best sleep I have is in the morning - because it's daylight and I can hear the street noise around and people walking by, etc...I know how you feel.