Sleep is just as essential to life as food and water. We spend about one-third of our lives sleeping. When we have difficulty sleeping, it interferes with our daily routine and it could really hinder us physically, mentally, and emotionally. Sometimes people are scared to fall asleep or just have trouble closing their eyes and relaxing, especially after countless hours of tossing and turning, this is called sleep anxiety.
With Halloween soon approaching, children may be too afraid to fall asleep after seeing ghoulish decorations in their neighborhoods. Whether it be a black cat, a witch’s cauldron, or even what appears to be a friendly scarecrow, these images can linger in children’s minds, creating fear and anxiety. Perhaps they recently watched a scary movie, and now they are too scared to go to sleep. Fear takes over. A parent may need to stay with the child until the child eventually falls asleep.
Somniphobia is the fear of falling asleep and staying asleep. You may feel that you will not be in control of what is happening around you when you sleep, or you may miss out on life if you’re not awake. Some people also fear that they will not wake up after having a good night’s rest.
Sleep anxiety is real and happens far more often than when it’s Halloween or after you’ve watched the latest horror flick. With the stress of everyday life, people have more and more on their plate than ever. If you are worried about a specific problem or your mind is racing with different thoughts consistently, chances are that you are experiencing a sleep disorder. You can also be waking up in the middle of the night often and have difficulties falling back asleep.
There are ways to improve and manage your sleep anxiety. Exercising or simply moving your body can reduce your anxieties and give you a more restful night. Make sure to get your physical activity during the early part of the day. Limit caffeine later in the day. It is also so important to make sure your sleeping environment is conducive to a good night’s sleep. Blackout curtains and turning off all electronic devices allow for calming your mind and staying asleep a lot easier. Some people can’t fall asleep if they’re hearing too much outside noise, so they turn on fans or white noise machines to help drown out the other sounds.
These remedies don’t always work and your sleep anxieties still exist. Gingras Sleep Medicine can help see what the core of your sleeping problems is. You first start with a sleep consultation with Dr. Jeannine Gingras. After going over your personal sleep concerns and having a physical exam, Dr. Gingras will evaluate whether an overnight sleep study is necessary. Based on her findings, she will come up with a possible diagnosis and formulate a plan of sleep therapy.
Different forms of sleep medicine and sleep therapy are offered at Gingras Sleep Medicine. Cognitive therapy, behavioral intervention and medicine are just some of the comprehensive treatments that Gingras Sleep Medicine offers. Dr. Gingras is available to guide you and see what works best in your specific situation. If you’d like to schedule a consultation with Dr. Gingras, please call our office at (704) 944-0562 or visit our website to request an appointment at http://gingrassleepmedicine.com.