Sleeping with a comfortable mattress, and cool room temperature feels very pleasant and makes us want to lie down all day. Laying down and sleeping is also one of our ways to restore lost energy. What happens if we don’t sleep and are forced to do activities all day? Tired and lethargic all day. However, it turns out that in this world there are people who are afraid of falling asleep, this fear is known as Somniphobia.
Learn more about Somniphobia!
Quoted from SehatQ, somniphobia is a condition in which sufferers experience extreme fear and anxiety about sleep. Other terms used for this condition are hypnophobia and clinophobia, various factors cause a person to have a phobia of sleeping. If no action is taken as soon as possible, somniphobia sufferers will get a worse influence on their health and daily life
A person can be diagnosed with somniphobia if the fear of sleeping causes conditions such as:
- Disturbed sleep quality
- Makes you avoid sleeping
- Lasts 6 months or more
- Has a bad effect on physical and mental health
- Interfere with daily activities
- Causes feelings of depression and triggers anxiety
Deteriorating psychological conditions if not treated immediately can trigger a worsening physical condition. Common symptoms felt by somniphobia sufferers are usually irritability, difficulty remembering things, feeling panicked before bedtime, feeling depressed, and many other things.
What causes someone to suffer from somniphobia?
Based on research, there is no definite cause for why someone can experience somniphobia, but experts say that one of the disorders such as sleep paralysis and nightmare disorder can play a role in the development of somniphobia. Unfinished past trauma or not getting treatment can also be a factor in the occurrence of somniphobia.
There are several ways to overcome somniphobia.
The following ways are believed to be able to overcome or prevent somniphobia, you can do exposure therapy. In this therapy, the patient will be invited to recognize their fear further and then meditate and sleep with accompaniment. Another way is to do it with cognitive behavioral therapy and taking drugs according to the doctor’s recommendations.
