anxiety before bed. help.

[iikone]

i’m typically having a decent day but once i get into bed preparing for sleep, i start to get anxiety and nervous to sleep. i don’t like sleeping at night, i feel like i won’t wake up or i’m out for too long. i usually get 4-5 hours of sleep everyday, last night i slept at 5am because i couldn’t sleep. i start hearing things like noises of movement so i get up and check it out to reassure myself that it’s my mind playing tricks. i sleep with weapons next to me because i have a big fear of strangers in my home. i live with my family and i get paranoid to sleep with my lights off because i am terrified. is this abnormal? am i just overthinking. please help me.

[SammyB]

Hi iikone,

Welcome to the forums! Your battle with sleep must be frustrating, sorry that you are going through this. It appears that you are stuck in a cycle of experiencing anxiety, not being able to sleep, to experiencing more anxiety because of this lack of sleep. Does that sound right? It makes complete sense then as to why you would have these paranoid thoughts, as not having enough sleep can have a big impact on your mental health including increasing a person’s anxiety.

At what point in the day do you start to experience anxiety about sleeping? What are you doing in the moments you have these thoughts and feelings? Being mindful about what you do in the hours leading up to you going to sleep can help identify any habits that may trigger these unhelpful thoughts. Do you exercise before going to sleep? What type of foods do you eat before going to sleep? All these factors can play a part in your sleeping patterns.

Would be great to hear if this has been helpful! Thanks for sharing.

[jess334]

Hi Iikone,

Welcome to the forums. It sounds like your night anxiety is causing you a lot of stress.

It can be horrible being stuck with these thoughts, but it is definitely very normal.

I had a similar fear a few years ago when I lived on my own. I would listen for all the little noises and scare myself silly thinking it was someone in the house. For a long time I slept with the light and the tv on in my bedroom. The tv blocked out most of the little noises and the light allowed me to see the room instantly if I opened my eyes. When I started getting treatment for my anxiety disorder I slowly became less anxious and found it easier to sleep without these distractions.

Your GP is a great place to start to talk about your anxiety. Booking a double appointment can help make sure you have enough time to talk about your worries without being rushed. Under a mental health plan you can get some subsidised visits with a psychologist who might be able to help you talk through this fear.

Be kind to yourself - don't beat yourself up for having this fear or having to sleep with the light on. It's really very normal.

Please feel free to reply or keep posting if you have more questions or need support. These forums are a great place to chat to people with similar experiences and not feel alone.

Jess