Afraid to sleep (long reply)
Question:
Well, some of the things I’ve done to get sleep: 1. Sleep in the closet. (Which I’ve already mentioned.) 2. Sleep during a time of day when I wasn’t scared. (Not terribly practical for someone with a full time job or family.) 3. Sleep in a different room. 4. Face my bed in a different direction. (Don’t laugh…it works!) 5. Sleep in my car…either at my house, or driving someplace where I felt safe and parking. 6. Sleep with a friend—no sex!—who knows about the night terror. 7. Bells on the doors so I could hear if someone came in. 8. Untuck the top sheet from my bed so I didn’t feel trapped in the bed. (This one has been the most helpful and I still do it to this day.) 9. Sleep with socks and mittens on. 10. New blankets. (Surprisingly, I was still sleeping with the blankets that were on my bed as a child!) 11. White noise. I use a fan to cover all the little noises of my neighborhood, the refrigerator and freezer cycling, and the house creaking. 12. Pajamas, rather than a shirt or nightie. 13. Move my bed into a corner so I could sleep against the wall, or sleep on the floor, between the bed and wall. (especially when I was in the hospital.) It helped me the most when I could identify why or what I was afraid of, then doing whatever was necessary to make myself feel like I had some control. I didn’t care what anyone else thought about my preparations. I also had to pay attention to the smells in my room at night. I got rid of my polyester pillows that were holding smells that triggered me. I took everything out of my house that had lavender in it. This is my list right off the top of my head. I don’t claim any of this will work for anyone else. It’s just what I had to do for myself. I hope it helps you start thinking about your own "sleep safety". Risa Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons because you are crunchy and you taste good with ketchup.
Response:
Hey, Thanks! I know the post wasn’t addressed to me, but you did a small miracle with it. At least I know that I’m not the only one who does some of those things. Of course, I have one other that isn’t practical for most people, but it helps to know about the others! Thanks again, Mike "Dulce bellum inexpertis." (Sweet is war to those who have never experienced it." -Latin proverb
