Too scared to sleep. That feeling of drifting into sleep scares me

[Amytat]

I have an anxiety about sudden death or dying in my sleep.

Now when I drift into sleep i get scared of the feeling and my heart starts raising

Please help

[marcusvanbreugel]

Dear Amytat,

I am sorry to read that you are having some difficulties.

What you describe i recognize.

Perhaps a visit to your GP to chat about it might be a notion?

I wish you all the very best.

warmest regards,

Marcus

[Amytat in reply to marcusvanbreugel]

What's Notion

[marcusvanbreugel in reply to Amytat]

Notion means way forward or a possibility

[Amytat in reply to marcusvanbreugel]

Sorry I still dont understand that word

[smicy91 in reply to marcusvanbreugel]

You're wasting time thinking about this before you go to bed. As it's something no one has control over. The chances of it happening are very slim before you go to sleep try some mindful meditation on YouTube, become aware of you're surrounding, maybe try some guided meditation by Michael sirley. His stuff is amazing. He will help you drift off easier, stop worrying about something you have no control over. It's a waste of energy

[Amytat]

I still dont understand

[marcusvanbreugel]

I thought perhaps your GP might be able to help

[Amytat in reply to marcusvanbreugel]

Yes but can you explain that word. I'm paranoid now lol

[Amytat in reply to marcusvanbreugel]

When you say way forward or a possibility its to where to what?

[marcusvanbreugel]

Hi Amytat,

I am sorry that you are not understanding the word 'notion'.

I looked it up online and the meaning is:

an opinion, belief, a general understanding.

I hope that my explanation helps.

warmest regards,

Marcus

[Amytat]

Oh yes so what I'm scared to sleep because I have an opinion?belief?

Doesnt make sense

[marcusvanbreugel]

HI Amytat,

Thank you for your reply.

What i mean is you could perhaps go and speak to your GP about being scared to sleep?

warmest regards,

Marcus

[Hidden]

I have this fear to, im so scared that ill fall asleep and not wake up or ill have bad dreams. But I find that talking to someone before i even start to get ready for bed helps. Or drinking some tea and relaxing with a calming movie

[Amytat in reply to Hidden]

I have dome all of those doesnt work

[Careful1]

I was like this as a kid. I didnt really even understand death but I remember many nights my step father sitting at the end of my bed telling me I would be okay and that he would sit there all night to watch me. I would literally cry hysterically that I couldn't go to sleep because I would never wake up. To this day I dont understand why when I was so young and didnt really have a good understanding of what death even was but I was a hypochondriac as a child and I use to have these strange spells which I know now were actually panic attacks.

I still have anxiety but I dont much worry about dying in my sleep anymore. I actually look forward to sleep when I'm anxious because I see it as an escape...

I wish there was a simple solution when it comes to anxiety but there just isn't. I went a full 7 years with no anxiety, no worry and no panic attacks and I did it without meds and without therapy because they just didn't work for me. I had to work on myself from the inside.

Anyways, I just wanted you to know that you weren't alone. I know the fear very well. Try telling yourself over and over before bed that the odds of of you dying in your sleep are extremely low and even if you do there is nothing you can do to stop it and so what good will it do to worry over it? I think that helped me the most. No matter what my fear was at the time, I would tell myself what can I possibly do to stop death should it come for me? Absolutely nothing... Then I think about how much of my life I have wasted worrying about things that I have no control over or how i worried myself sick over things that turned out to be nothing. I dont know if it will help you but it helped me...

[Catahrina]

How would you die in your sleep? Due to what issue?

Do you know its just a feeling or do you genuinely believe that you will die in your sleep?

Your heart and brain likes it the most when you sleep, its great! When sleeping, your body gets some time where it can rest from your anxious day, heal and take care of some things that you need to be asleep for it to do. You're brain is always awake so if anything would happen to you, you would instantly wake up. Your body is taking care of you 24/7 even when you sleep. I promise!

[Want2BHappy3]

Sorry to hear how your feeling, mines is the opposite, I get scared about waking up. When I'm sleeping I don't feel any anxiety. Not knowing what I'm going to deal with for the day scares me. Seem some counseling. This may sound like something for a child? But have you tried using a night light? Good Luck