“I have OCD with an intense fear of sleep. How can I make peace with falling asleep?”

Anxiety is a common sleep disrupter. In your case, I would find a psychologist who specializes in anxiety to help you discuss your fears and phobias associated with your OCD and sleep. Understanding the underlying fears can help with the associated behaviors.

Good luck!

Brandi Buchanan, PhD

I would recommend setting up an appointment with a psychologist to address the issue. There are several possible approaches that could be used for treatment.

Different people, different reasons for the same behaviors or feelings! Question is, why do YOU have this fear and how can YOU master it? I would recommend consulting an experienced mental health person (psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker…) with training in hypnosis. To find an appropriately trained person, look at the website of ASCH, the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis.
As a member of that society myself, I know that members have the appropriate training to deal with your very important problem.
Good luck, and look forward to some good nights sleep.

Peace,

Marian K. Shapiro

See a psychotherapist who is experienced in dealing with OCD issues - he/she should be able to help. A good starter book is Anxiety and Phobia workbook by Bourne.

You can't transcend it until you understand it. If you pay attention to yourself, your history, your memories, and the way it feels instead of fearing the way it feels, you may get answers. Your fear will keep you from learning about yourself. It will magnify your fear. Fear of fear is an escalation of fear. Once you get answers, you can reason with yourself. You need to understand why you fear falling asleep. Did you nearly die once? Did you think you were going to die? It could have been at your birth or a time you can't remember. You may need to talk to you parent(s). Or, were you afraid someone else would die if you fell asleep? When did this start?

You need to conquer your fear, and you are the only who can convince yourself that you won't die if you allow yourself to fall asleep. I used to have a fear of pain. I had bad migraines. My therapist told me to go into the pain instead of running from it. I thought he was CRAZY. But, what did I have to lose except one foreseen disaster? I discovered that the most inflammatory ingredient in pain is the fear of it. Facing my pain often dissolves it.

I would try planning on dying. (Of course, you won't. The fear or thought won't make it so.) You need to go through the process, observing truth versus fact from beginning to end. Pay attention. Stay focused. Observe your process.

Don't catastrophise. If you catastrophise, what is that about? Are you seeking to be rescued? Do you know that you can blow your entire life fearing fear? Get on with courage. If you can't conjure courage, conjure awareness while you are in it.

I think that will help.

Dr. Faye

Dear Sir/Madam:
 
Sorry to hear that you are suffering from fear of falling asleep. As you know, sleep is very important for our well being. I would suggest you see a therapist that will help you get to the root and origin of the fear and help release it through Regression therapy. You can check my website about regression therapy at www.DrSonpal.com. You may also want to consult with your primary care Dr. or a psychiatrist. Do not ignore this as you need to start getting a sound night's sleep on a daily basis.
 
Take care,
 
Dr. Sonpal

Try reading or watching television until you are so tired, you fall asleep. And tell yourself that it is normal to sleep and your body works best with restful sleep.

Your fears are caused by your thoughts, which have programmed you for fear. Read Dr. Burns book, Feeling Good. If you don't get better, see a psychologist (not LPC or psychiatrist) who specializes in fear and anxiety.

Being able to explore and talk to a counselor can assist you in uncovering where your intense fear of falling asleep originates. Phobias can typically be traced back to some type of real or perceived trauma. Seeking a good counselor is the best thing you can do to address this fear and overcome it.

I strongly urge you to seek professional counseling (licensed) from someone trained in managing anxiety symptoms.