I'm not able to get to sleep at night...any ideas for overcoming fear?

Question

I'm living alone for the first time in my life. I'm finding it next to impossible to get to sleep at night -- every time I hear the slightest noise, I spring up and have to patrol the entire house. This happens many times per night. There IS an alarm system and security lighting, but I'm still afraid. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

Do whatever it is you have to do to feel comfortable, until you get accustomed to living alone: get up every time you hear a noise, sleep with a bat near your bed, it's only temporary. After awhile, you'll begin to see that you are safe in your home, and things won't be so difficult for you. Congratulations on your new place!!

Answer 2

How old are you? If you are young (early teens) then it will probably come with time. I don't really know how to overcome this kind of thing, but maybe focus on it in gradual steps eg. go to a foreign or different place with your mum and sleep there, and then after that your mum could leave in the night whilst you are asleep and so on. Just gradually change the conditions until you can do it. Good luck!

Answer 3

You sound like you're going it alone and everything is just fine to me. Being alone is a little rough to get used to and hard to
second-guess how it will feel before it happens. This terrorism has most of us a little extra nervous anyway. Take all the precautions you can to be safe during the daytime hours, and keep emergency phone numbers by your phone to further quiet your fears and then assure yourself at night that you are safe and it's just the fear of a new situation. You said this is the first time in your life. That's great!! Congratulations!! You are going to feel proud of yourself once you settle in and can relax!! I think it's exciting!! Good Luck!! @8-)

Answer 4

Get a "white noise" machine for beside your bed. I listen to the ocean most of the night. The are small and cost less than $20.00.

You could leave a radio playing music softly in another room.

Instead of patrolling the house, read yourself back to sleep.

Keep the cell phone near your bed.

I sleep with a German Shepard in my bedroom. Ain't no one going to get past her!

Answer 5

Do you have reason to be afraid? Sounds like your just not use to your new environment. The one thing to ask yourself is what is the worst thing that could happen to yourself, and try and come to grips with it in your mind. I'm sure that the security system works, and that you have a telephone right next to your bed, so you have all the bases covered, if it's that bad speak to your doctor and have them advise you on what to do.

Answer 6

You might want to sleep with the radio on, just turn it on just enough for you to hear it at night. It will put you to sleep and you will not hear other noises over the music. It helps me doze off on nites when i cant seem to fall asleep.

Answer 7

perhaps you are not ready to live on your own, and I say this justifying it by if you really wanted to live alone , then you would be able to over come fears that a security system will keep you safe. You are holding on to childish fears for a reason

Answer 8

Just realize that there is NO WAY that someone could be in there. Make sure to check EVERY door and WINDOW to make sure they're secure and locked. and really think about it, if you checked the whole house and everything HOW COULD ANYONE BE IN THERE. make sure you have a book, or something so you could read and get tired and go to bed.

Answer 9

Get a cat. then any little noise can be blamed on the cat moving around.

Answer 10

Lunesta.