To afraid to sleep

[flying_kiwifruit]

I can't sleep at the moment until the house is completly quite and everyone has gone to bed, even then it cant take a while to fall asleep, the reason I'm so scared that someone is going to some into my room. Someone is the wrong word, that one of the peple that abused me is going to come in even though one live in a different town the other lives in a different house.

This seems to cycle that I will sleep fine for a week then for a week or so I can't sleep I think the reason being is I sleep when my body gets to the stage if it doesn't sleep things just wont go down good.

Also this happened last night. I went to bed at 10 layed awake until 1030 then i can't remember anything after this until it feels like I'm standing up, being lifted off the floor the room spun then I dropped down in my bed, the whole time everything was pitch black, when I landed I woke up sitting up in my bed. I was so scared that I had to turn the light on, it was 12 by now.

In the end I took two herbal sleeping helpers and that got me to sleep, I really don't like doing this though because I hate swallowing pills. I only do it if I have a assement the next day.

One logical thing is that I could put a lock on my door but I'm not allowed according to my parents. My councellor agrees that this relates to my past.

Any ideas on how not to feel so scared at night.

 

[IndomitableAmy]

I'm sorry you're having that trouble. I used to a lot and still do from time to time..
Hiding under a heavy quilt helps me some. Probably sounds kind of silly, juvenile, but it can feel like a safe little unassailable fortress to me. I also sleep with the door closed (if not locked.. I'm sorry you're not allowed to have a lock). When I was young, I used to set up fairly elaborate "alarms" on my closed door.. and I'd hide under my heavy cover and go to sleep by trying to gauge when 5, then 10, then 15, etc minutes had gone by on my glowing clocks. I'd concentrate on the time and eventually, I'd drift to sleep.
I'm sorry you're having this trouble.

 

[Moriah_Conquering_Wind]

Moriah as a teenager got to where it felt so threatened it slept with its door locked and a huge knife hidden beneath its pillow. But that bes after its father died and it had a falling out with its mother (who flipped out way beyond anything it had ever seen before) after getting in trouble with the police. It moved out at the age of 15 as a result -- did not feel safe at home -- and did not come home for another 7 months. During which time it stayed with someone for about 3 months then got involuntarily committed to a privatized mental institution for a month then got transferred to a horrible state psych hospital after that for 3 more months. Ick.
Oh but this bes not helping you, it realised. Sorry!
Can you talk with your counselor about things that might help you feel safer at night? What about your parents, bes they supportive at all, can they talk with you & your counselor about ways to cope with this?

If you want to fall asleep quickly, exercising vigorously about 2 hours before bedtime, then relaxing in a hot tub or shower really really helps.

 

[Johnnz]

Are you able to relate to God's presence with you, or is hat too much for you at present?

John
NZ

 

[FaithfulWife]

First things first--Yes, I have a few ideas! Some of my ideas may sound awful and baby-ish but trust me, they do help. The first thing I did was get a teddy bear. When I was really afraid or lonely or anything, I had a big bear in bed with me that I could hug--and my bear is about 1/3 my size, so he's not huge but not small.

Next, I got a very dim night light. I have good eyes at night but for a while the dark was not my friend--or maybe too much my friend but it scared me anyway! So I spent money and got a very dim, adult looking nightlight that looked like a glowing button. It was cool because if I did wake up afraid I could open my eyes and see but it wasn't so bright that it kept me awake.

Next, put on some kind of "neutral noise". For some folks this might be quiet, ambient music. For others...a fan. Anyway, make the neutral noise anything that's a relaxing, slow, steady drone of sound that kind of masks or covers other sounds. It creates one little bubble of sound-numbness and one of the things I used to catch myself doing is sort of keeping myself awake LISTENING for the stuff sneaking up on me.

Next, start about an hour before bedtime and have a relaxation routine. Go to bed as close as possible to a similar time each night so your body starts to get into a habit of rest at a certain time. One hour before bed, start to end anything your doing--watching TV, doing homework, playing on the PC, whatever! Forty-five min. before bed be done. Thirty min. before do your jammies and brushing teeth routine. Fifteen min. before take one melatonin--that's a naturally occurring hormone that plays a role in establishing sleep cycles and happens is that taking a low level of melatonin will not be enough to put you TO sleep (like Kava or Valarian can) but will begin to get your body into a rhythm of rest and sort of make you drowsy.

Finally, I have had periods where sleep just isn't happening and at first I fought and fought and fought it! I wanted my eight hours a night and it wasn't happening and I was SURE that there was something wrong with me. Well, eventually I decided to just change my perspective on it a little. I had an extra hour or two every day that no one else had! And rather than fight against it, I decided to just go with it and accept it. So I'd go through my whole routine to help relax myself, and if it didn't work, I'd lay for a bit and then say, "This isn't happening." Then I'd get up and try to do something that would make me drowsy like reading. If that didn't work, I journal because usually I had something on my mind that I just HAD to get outta there and had to write down--then I could sleep. And if none of that worked--well I was up! So I figured if I'm up I may as well be productive, and I'd fold laundry or iron.

Hope you find these ideas helpful lil sis!

~Faithful

P.S. Hi Moriah!

 

[Moriah_Conquering_Wind]

P.S. Hi Moriah!

daimonizomai misses you.

 

[Duffy70]

Aw, I can really relate to this - for a while I was so scared of sleeping I'd take caffeine pills and all sorts in an effort to stay awake (NOT a good idea!). I hope you feel better soon.

FaithfulWife was right about the routine thing - it's really important that you start a routine to help you sleep - start at the same time and do the same thing every night to help you wind down. This could be something along the lines of - have a warm bath (I know someone who swears by lavender bubble mixture), change into pajamas, brush teeth/hair, curl up in bed and read for 15-30 minutes and THEN switch off the light and try to sleep. It won't work immediately, but if you do the same thing every night the moment you start doing the first thing in your getting-ready-for-bed routine, you'll start relaxing and winding down.

It's a shame your parents won't let you get a lock on your door - why don't you try hanging something that clinks on your door so it makes a notice when it opens? I used to hang medals on my door handle and it helped because then I knew I'd be woken up if someone opened it.

Really, it's just a case of finding what works for you. If you’d like any more suggestions, I'd be happy to help. Feel free to PM me at any time.

 

[bubblefish]

(((Nat))))

Hun, I know exactly what that is like and havent been sleeping too well myself again lately.. I agree with everything FaithfulWife said though, it can help.

The main thing I have found, which she mentioned, is don't fight it. I spent so much time in bed stressing that I couldn't sleep and would be tired the next day that it just made me worse. Sometimes getting up and doing something for a while can help.

also, as people have said, is there a way that you could put something on your door so you would know if someone opened it?
That might help as well as it can help you feel safer.

Hope you find something that works for you Hun