Somniphobia, The Condition When Someone Is Very Afraid Of Sleeping

Sleep illustration (StockSnap-Pixabay)

JAKARTA - Sleep is a necessity for every human being. After a tired day of activities, of course you will crave a good night's sleep in a comfortable place to refresh your body. Plus, even sleep is good for your health. However, did you know that there are people who are very afraid of sleeping?

A common condition called somniphobia, which is an extreme fear of sleep. If you are tired and feel like sleeping quickly, a person with somniphobia will never do that. Even just thinking about sleep can stress him out.

In many cases, the somniphobia person may not really be afraid of falling asleep, but rather anxious about what might happen while sleeping.

When you have this phobia, you can experience typical symptoms such as avoiding sleep by staying up as long as possible, experiencing panic during sleep, difficulty focusing on other things besides thinking about the fear of sleeping, mood swings, and difficulty remembering things.

You will also experience some physical symptoms, including feeling nauseous and having stomach pain, sweating frequently, chills, and difficulty breathing when you think of sleep.

Can a person be sleepless for long periods of time? The answer is no. So somniphobia people end up sleeping. However, not too soundly and often wake up.

Some people may try to fall asleep by turning off lights and electronics. However, others turn to things like drinking alcohol or certain drugs to reduce fear.

To be more sure about this condition, of course you can consult a doctor to be given an accurate diagnosis.

The doctor will look to see if this phobia affects sleep quality, negatively impacts physical and mental health, causes problems at work or personal life, and lasts more than six months.

If you are diagnosed with somniphobia, you can undergo medication to treat the phobia. Treatments that your doctor can recommend include exposure therapy, which involves exposing yourself to your fear and finding ways to treat it with the help of a therapist.

You may also be advised to relax or be accompanied by someone closest to you while sleeping. It could also be cognitive behavioral therapy to overcome sleep problems or given certain drugs to reduce fear.