Scared Of Sleeping & Dreaming

[vintagepower3]

I know this is going to come across as incredibly strange to almost everyone who reads this. But i have an incredible fear of sleeping & dreaming. I cant explain it. I have no idea why. Im more afraid of dreaming than anything else, but still its not an easy thing to face every night. Lots of people love sleeping, some cant get enough. Me, i want to sleep & i do sleep dont get me wrong otherwise id probably be dead or in hospital by now. But its when im lying there, unable to fall asleep that the thoughts start creeping into my head. All of the fears i have, all of the other problems im going through & everything else. I try thinking positive thoughts but cant keep them in my mind for long. I try clearing my mind as ive been told thats something that helps but again i cant do it. The worst part for me is when it takes hours for me to fall asleep. Thats the worst. Sometimes im lucky & fall to sleep within the hour if not sooner. My ideal night consists of going to bed early about half 9 - 10, since i hate dreaming so much i love it when i wake up in the middle of the night about 2 - 3 (if im lucky), but yet when that happens i can fall straight back asleep instantly without any problems. I suppose im just so tired i dont think about it. That way i find i avoid dreaming, well ive read you dream every night. Its not possible not to dream, but when i dont remember them, thats when i like it. The really vivid dreams again, are something that really worrys me, ive only had one or two but still, its enough to make me afraid. I know some of you might say to me i go to bed too early, or see a doctor but believe me ive tried. I think of it this way, if i go to bed early and struggle sleeping i could be awake until 2 - 3 am, if i go to bed later about 12 - 1 & i have a bad night i might not be asleep until 6 am. I dont want to be one of thoe people who is asleep all day and awake all night Ive been that way before & its horrible. I missed out on everything. From simply enjoying the day to seeing my family. It took me long enough to get back into a normal routine so i cant afford to ruin that. My diet gets brought up alot and yes i eat a lot of junk food, fizzy drinks etc... but for example drinks with caffeine in i wont drink past 4 in the afternoon. The only thing the doctor has done is booked me in to see a shrink wich i dont think will help, as all i think they will do is try and find out what triggered my problems. They cant wave a magic wand and make everything go away. But its going to take a month or two before they even see me as they are always so fully booked. Ive been told about the local mental health support group at the haven in wick and im all up for going im just to shy & nervous, i mean i dont think im insane or anything but i do think there is something triggering this that i cant put my finger on. But when people say to me ''I understand'' thats the most horrible thing. No one does, i mean i wouldnt wish this on anyone, no matter what they had done to me. I just wish someone knew what it was like to be afraid of an everyday thing that cant be avoided. This is something thats ruining my life, ive even tried prayer, for years ive tried that but have given up as ive lost all religious belief as my prayers are ignored. Well thats how i thought, now i know differently. But besides this i live a good life, i know there are people worse off than me im not denying that. Life...theres always something that gets you down

[rogermellie]

sounds like you've looked into this already, but i'd make sure the following are happening...

- get plenty of exercise and a good diet during the day
- only go to bed when you're tired, do you read in bed/watch tv or just stare at the ceiling waiting to fall asleep ?
- get a girlfriend and have lots of sex before lights out (let her stare at the ceiling waiting for you to fall asleep for a change)
- stop anything that will stimulate the brain too much in the evening (sex=:D, xbox=[evil])

god knows about the dreaming thing, too much cheese maybe, i don't know, see a therapist type though if it persists

good luck, sleep deprivation is torture, hope you get it sorted

[Aaldtimer]

Just what does this "&amp" mean?:confused

[Mrs Bucket]

Im a great believer in you are what you eat Ive improved my health both mentally and physically by cutting down on junk food. Keep a check on what you eat and see how it affects you it can be a lengthy process working through it. You may not have to cut things out just cut down. It may be worth a try.

[Stefan]

Aspartame is a bad one for inducing fear related problems I have read. Check the drinks labels. Avoid aspartame like the plague. There are over 90 health risks connected to aspartame.
When you go to bed do something that takes your mind off your worries and is repetitive. I like to play solitaire or other simple puzzles on my phone.
Try working on the worries you have in your life. Talk to people, sometimes just telling somebody and sharing the burden makes it a little easier. Maybe ask your GP for help. Ask for a referral to a therapist. If you are not sleeping and you are depressed the NHS should pay for it as it is affecting your health. If you feel your GP isn't interested change your GP. I have done this before myself and it was a great help to have my GP listening to me and taking me seriously.
Good luck.

[ducati]

NLP can really help with this sort of problem. Just google NLP and or Self Talk read about it and you will find lots of simple free exercises you can use to focus away from your problem and give you a positive outlook.

[Leanne]

I'm you can't sleep - go for a walk. It really does help you unwind.

Another good one is to lie there and mentally 'feel' each part of your body, starting with the toes and working up. Think about your toes then your ankles etc. If your mind starts to wander, start again. This helps focus your mind away from thinking about things that stop you sleeping. It's a bit like counting sheep...

Do you lie awake for ages and then lie in? If so, set your alarm clock and get up with it. No matter how tired you may be... Stay awake as long as you can - you will be exhausted but only go to bed after 8pm. This 'should' reset your body clock - it's hard to do though. It's what I do when I get called into work in the middle of the night - if I lie in the next morning I can guarantee I wont be able to sleep the next night.

I also find if I drink coffee after 4pm I can't sleep. The other night I was in work from 4am until 1pm after doing a day shift and really did need to go to bed afterwards. I thought I'd had about 3 hours as I got up again at 10 to 4. I had a coffee and carried on as normal... It wasn't until I sat down at 10pm and turned the telly on that I realised the clocks were wrong because we had a power cut :( It was actually 1am and I was wide awake because of the coffee - despite having so little sleep. Stay off the coffee...

Sleep problems are a hard one - you need to be really focused about breaking the cycle. It's too easy just to carry on as you are and then get sleeping pills - been there. No coffee after 4, a walk (or a bath) at bedtime, then sleep meditation should get you drowsy and mindnumb enough to fall asleep.

[binnes]

Just what does this "&amp" mean?:confused

It's an ampersand.