19 replies to this topic

[sleepless sleeper]

I was talking to someone today and I talked about being too scared to sleep sometimes. I don't want to give details -YET- because I want to know if anyone else has done this, but I don't want to influence what anyone's answer may be.

I'll update my reasons later. Just curious if anyone will respond first, and if so, then with what.

[Lais02]

When I was younger I was almost always terrified to go to sleep. I attribute this to the fact that I was having HH! Kids are scared of the dark without having crazy stuff actually happen. I was absolutely terrified of everything. This got better in high school, but that makes sense, because that is when I started on anti depressants... no more dreaming. If I have an HH now I'm still terrified all over again. Thank God this doesn't happen often anymore.

[eww]

Sometimes it seems like I get on a roll with the nightmares. Some of them are downright horrifying. And then yes, I'm afraid to sleep. I try to combat this with music. I have a playlist of "Erinn's lullabyes" which is 4 calm, relaxing, happy songs. It's not fool proof by any means, but I do think that soothing music as I go to dreamyland has helped with the content of dreams.

I did learn rather abruptly that I need to be very particular about the music though. One nice "happy" song that I originally had sent me spiraling to the centre of the earth with big orchestra sweeps about a minute in.

[Henry G]

It's ironic how sleep is such a problem for Narcoleptics.

With me, I am scared of not getting enough sleep, sleeping badly or apnea.

I am OK with nightmares and so on as long as I manage to get some deep sleep.

Not that I enjoy them, but I always have this: if my life is incredibly horrible sad and frustrating I often get the most beautiful and serene dreams.

If however, my life is happy and all - I get nightmares.

[hathor]

i have been reading these post about being to scared to sleep. i think the only times i am scared to sleep is when ive had a really bad dream and just manage to drag myself out of it but i cant wake up and scared to go back to sleep properly. oh and when im falling asleep with people in the room because i snore really bad talk and laugh u name it. so i think i get scared to sleep mainly when im in the half zone, that place inbetween sleep and awake.

[sleepless sleeper]

That half zone is what it is for me, also. For me the half zone is when I think that I am awake, but I am really asleep. That is when I have my worst HH. I end up sleeping with the light on, or rather, I end up thinking that I am awake with the light on. Strange. very strange.

People that need sleep but are too scared to sleep - or so scared of not getting sleep - have an end result of: NO GOOD SLEEP.

Thanks for answering.

[greatbig47]

Look at what crosses our minds during sleep paralysis...It perfect sense to me why we would cringe at the thought of it happening.

[malachi777]

That half zone is what it is for me, also. For me the half zone is when I think that I am awake, but I am really asleep. That is when I have my worst HH. I end up sleeping with the light on, or rather, I end up thinking that I am awake with the light on. Strange. very strange.

People that need sleep but are too scared to sleep - or so scared of not getting sleep - have an end result of: NO GOOD SLEEP.

Thanks for answering.

To be quite honest, I do fear going to sleep every night. I think it stems from the fact that I have minor sleep apnea, hypopneas and central sleep apnea. I also have a short circuit in my heart rate. These reasons make me anxious to go to sleep but I work hard at being positive and looking forward to tomorrow.

[sleepless sleeper]

I work hard at being positive and looking forward to tomorrow.
Malachi, Absolutely awesome. You are definitely an inspiration minister.

Look at what crosses our minds during sleep paralysis
Stu, absolutely. This and hallucinations are real spirit kickers.

It's ironic how sleep is such a problem for Narcoleptics
Henry, ur so right. Either chemically-biologically induced from whatever is going on in our brains to psychologically induced fear.

This is interesting, and again thanks. It truly is good to see that I'm not alone. Yet, again.

You are all amazing people.

[angellus]

I dont hate going to sleep.. I hate waking up...

[Irishhh]

I must be the only person who enjoys going to sleep! I love sleeping so much, I often wish I could do it all the time. When I'm at work I think about sleep, want to sleep, dream etc. Sleep or dreaming is almost always on my mind.

It's weird I'm like this, but I think I enjoy freaking myself out. Even though hallucinations are scary, I like when I have them. Because not many other people get to have them. It's kind of a unique thing that our brains can do. and honestly, I prefer dream land to real life. I love imagination and how it can take over. It freaks me out to be out of control, but at the same time, I do enjoy it.

I do love sleeping though. At the end of the day and I've fought so hard against the N, my body is pleading with me to let go. I dream pretty much all throughout the night, and when I wake up if I can't remember dreaming I get kind of sad lol.

and when I was a kid I had hallucinations all the time. They were bad, but have really lessened over the years. Still though, esp if I'm alone, I sleep with a light or tv on. I can't be in the dark alone.

[eightlegs]

same as the others, when I was a kid I hated going to sleep... it was the things I would see... so I'd sit wide eyed in the dark... which I would usually start to see things anyway.. thinking i was still awake.. then of course I wasn't... now as an adult I still have a hard time.... hear lots of things... especially when I'm alone..

[angellus]

same as the others, when I was a kid I hated going to sleep... it was the things I would see... so I'd sit wide eyed in the dark... which I would usually start to see things anyway.. thinking i was still awake.. then of course I wasn't... now as an adult I still have a hard time.... hear lots of things... especially when I'm alone..

well i recommend you not be alone!

[sleepless sleeper]

well i recommend you not be alone!

company can be a good thing

[Mr BluBerry]

i personally believe that fear of sleep is something that is ingrained so deep in us that over time it develops into narcolepsy because our body physically doesnt let us sleep because it knows what kinda bull*BEEP* happens in our dreams

initially, are they dreams or are tehy the result of something?

and then afterwards, are they dreams or are they messages?

and is there any sort of solution?


i personally had a special way to stop my HH, cuz for a very long time i used 2 have constant hallucinations every night which tested my limits to the max and i would be so much more *BEEP*ed up if i didnt have this remedy to sooth me

its *BEEP*ed tho, cuz every night still, im afraid the nightmares might come back...but they havent for a while lets keep it that way

[malachi777]

i personally believe that fear of sleep is something that is ingrained so deep in us that over time it develops into narcolepsy because our body physically doesnt let us sleep because it knows what kinda bull*BEEP* happens in our dreams

initially, are they dreams or are tehy the result of something?

and then afterwards, are they dreams or are they messages?

and is there any sort of solution?


i personally had a special way to stop my HH, cuz for a very long time i used 2 have constant hallucinations every night which tested my limits to the max and i would be so much more *BEEP*ed up if i didnt have this remedy to sooth me

its *BEEP*ed tho, cuz every night still, im afraid the nightmares might come back...but they havent for a while lets keep it that way

I wish narcolepsy was caused by fear of going to sleep. Unfortunately, fear is not the cause of this frustrating condition. The death of Orexin cells and all the gliosis going on in the hypothalamus, proves that something physiological is amiss in our bodies. It is not a psychological condition. The recent finding proving that narcolepsy truly is caused by an autoimmune disease, it great news. This will create other medications to diminish symptoms until researchers find a cure. I did not fear going to sleep until the last 2 years and I looked forward to going to sleep in my teens and still had narcoleptic symptoms. My fear now is due to the minor heart issue and the central apneas recently diagnosed.

[sunrisemoon]

I wish narcolepsy was caused by fear of going to sleep. Unfortunately, fear is not the cause of this frustrating condition. The death of Orexin cells and all the gliosis going on in the hypothalamus, proves that something physiological is amiss in our bodies. It is not a psychological condition. The recent finding proving that narcolepsy truly is caused by an autoimmune disease, it great news. This will create other medications to diminish symptoms until researchers find a cure. I did not fear going to sleep until the last 2 years and I looked forward to going to sleep in my teens and still had narcoleptic symptoms. My fear now is due to the minor heart issue and the central apneas recently diagnosed.

You know that fear will cause an automatic increase in your heart rate, too. The whole 'fight or flight' thing happens as much with perceived threats as real ones, which I'm sure you already know. Am too exhausted to type anything else lol so I'll chat with you soon.

[music_man]

Some days I am just tired of going to sleep (however weird that sounds). Not exactly a fear, although I recently started having SP once or twice a week about a month ago, and that is just about the most frightening thing ever... waking up and realizing you can't even roll over or open your eyes. Good fun.

I hear others saying, "I wish I dreamed more or could remember my dreams" and I just think that I'd like to just have uninterrupted sleep and just forget some of the scary/crazy stuff I've seen. Sometimes it gets mixed in with reality and I have a hard time figuring out what did and didn't happen. One time I dreamed that my dad had gotten a motorcycle and he had wrecked and killed himself... it was real enough that when I woke up, I texted him to make sure he was still alive.

Overall, despite how much I like sleeping and attempting to get rested, I'm not a big fan of having to go to sleep...

[sleepless sleeper]

I know what u mean MM. I am sick of sleeping, also. So much time spent with eyes shut.

[Irishhh]

Some days I am just tired of going to sleep (however weird that sounds). Not exactly a fear, although I recently started having SP once or twice a week about a month ago, and that is just about the most frightening thing ever... waking up and realizing you can't even roll over or open your eyes. Good fun.

I hear others saying, "I wish I dreamed more or could remember my dreams" and I just think that I'd like to just have uninterrupted sleep and just forget some of the scary/crazy stuff I've seen. Sometimes it gets mixed in with reality and I have a hard time figuring out what did and didn't happen. One time I dreamed that my dad had gotten a motorcycle and he had wrecked and killed himself... it was real enough that when I woke up, I texted him to make sure he was still alive.

Overall, despite how much I like sleeping and attempting to get rested, I'm not a big fan of having to go to sleep...

I get that all the time! My dreams are so real, I always think they are real. Sometimes I'll have something happen that involves my boyfriend and in the morning I'll ask him, hey did you do that last night?

I was saving a baby bunny this past weekend, and he died a little over 24 hours later. I went to sleep to escape the pain, when I woke up, I hoped it was a dream, but realized it was real because my eyes hurt. That was so much worse than any of the times I've dreamed something happened that didn't.