The creator of the study and clinic, Hugh Selsick, paired a rigorous nighttime routine with CBT and found remarkable results. Transforming stress through awareness, education and collaboration. It seems like such a simple thing to do but so many of us simply do not do it. Because of this, it’s believed that insomnia types can stay relatively stable throughout a person’s lifetime. Individuals suffering from this may only fear certain species. fear of not sleeping. I have never heard of someone experiencing 9 days of no sleep, so if you truly have not had one second of sleep ion nearly 2 weeks, go to the Hospital Emergency Dept now & tell the physician & ask for help. Additionally, other fears such as recurring nightmares, fear of sleep apnea (not breathing while being asleep), and more can all lead to disturbed sleep. Using a night light or keeping the light on is not a big deal if you don't disturb others. It is a Texas 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation. The National Institute of Mental Health notes that 6 million adults in America have a panic disorder. Additionally, participating in a sleep study may help you identify certain patterns related to your nighttime routine. It is the single greatest barrier to success. For those that do not suffer from an anxiety disorder, but only have occasional or intermittent anxiety from time-to-time, this is normal and healthy behavior for many people. Over time, this helped the participant’s bedtimes become consistent. Try implementing just a couple of behaviors within these articles and you could be on the way to overcoming your fear of not getting enough sleep. It could be that your brain is unable to get a full cycle of REM sleep, or that your breathing is hampered by sleep apnea. Relaxation techniques like meditation can assist with this. Shares 5 Share Tweet Email. Start keeping a log of not only your sleep but the habits that feature prominently in your life. The subconscious fear of not being able to sleep can become so severe that it essentially takes over almost everything. Those suffering from anxiety disorders may also have this type of phobia. Don’t worry. There is actually a considerable amount at stake for those who cannot sleep and just thinking about it can have a devastating impact on your psychology. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): GAD is a form of anxiety that people may experience for extended periods of time, normally more than six months, and is a response to stress related to work, personal health, social interactions, or everyday routines. This can include being unable to leave the home before turning off all the dials in the house and checking all the locks twice, or feeling a compelling urge to drive a specific route in order to avoid potential (but not real) dangers. Finally, if you’re still struggling to find sleep, you can always resort to seeking out therapy. Sometimes all it really requires is understanding why you are not sleeping. Stop staying up late on weekends and stop sleeping in late on weekend mornings. At the beginning, end, and all throughout the five years, the participants were asked to rank their insomnia based on severity. Loss of interest in previously enjoyable activities. Sleep logs can be useful to help you catalog when you fall asleep and how much sleep you were able to get. The fear of not sleeping has more to do with what doctors would call insomnia, which is the failure to fall asleep. As PsychCentral discusses in “Mindfulness: the Art of Cultivating Resilience” acting mindfully can help individuals make radical shifts in how they think and perceive situations by looking at them without judgment. If you’re struggling to fall asleep due to anxiety, it could be that treating the anxiety will help solve your insomnia and lack of sleep as well. Or a mix of both, you want to go away regular, routine! 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