I'm staying up until 3 because I'm scared. How can I get to sleep fast and get rid of my fear?

Do you have anyone you can call at night?

Sometimes I get nightmares once in a while so I’ll call my boyfriend or a close friend and talk. It calms me because it gets my mind off of it.

You may also want to look into some OTC sleep meds (non-habit forming), maybe a glass of warm milk, meditating, or listening to soothing music. Also, have you considered getting a lock on your bedroom door? I sleep SOOOO well when I have one.

Do you leave a light on or a night light? Do you think that would help? I don’t know your living arrangements, but it is possible to get an alarm system that will go off if someone tries to get in? If you felt more secure, you would be able to fall asleep.

Have you spoken with a mental health professional about your extreme anxiety? If you are a child, I think that you will outgrow these fears, but if you are an adult, you might want to look into getting some help. Are you being treated for an anxiety disorder? To help you sleep, you might want to take some Benadryl, but you should talk to a doctor before doing it, OK.. I just checked your profile and I see that you are still a minor. I like the nightlight idea mentioned above. Could you maybe also leave a radio or something on, just so things won’t seem so eerie and quiet? Also, does a parent or guardian or a school counselor know about your fears? Sometimes, talking about your fears can help them to get smaller. Good luck!

@answerjill
Yeah I use a nightlight and a loud fan but still hear things. My family knows about my fear. My sister has it too but not as bad.

Do you have a special object like a doll or teddy bear or blanket that you could keep in your bed to make you feel comforted? Don’t be embarrassed and think that you are too old for such things!

Have you tried sleeping with the TV or a radio on? It will give you something to focus on while you drift off so that you aren’t hearing other noises.

I’m very paranoid so I have to lock all the doors and windows in order to sleep tight at night- but it does the trick! Maybe get a lock for your bedroom door.

I use to have this problem when I was younger, and would always stay up until it was light and I would go to sleep. I use to read a lot, which didn’t usually help but it did pass the time and calm me down. Now as an adult, I happily sleep in a pitch black room, so I put it down to being a child! If anything, time should cure this issue for you.

Where does this fear come from? Did something happen to you as a child or recently happened to you to make you so afraid? You must face your fear by confronting it, and the more you confront it the less power it will have over you. When you wake up, try taking a flashlight and go outside and see that there is nothing to be afraid of. You can also try to get a puppy. I get scared sometimes too and I have found that when I call my dog and allow him to sleep in the same room with me, I feel better because if anything is wrong I know he will bark first. Also, you should try to pray to God when you are in those difficult moments. Try to believe in God that He can protect you against any form of evil.

There’s nothing wrong with sleeping with a light on.

I agree with others that there may be therapies that could enable you to not be afraid of the dark, but those will take a while to implement. In the meantime, just leave a light on.

And I’m not trying to frighten you or make things worse for you, but… if someone or “something” is going to walk down your hallway and break into your room, or scream outside your window or do any number of other things that you’re concerned about, then it’s always going to be worse for you if you’re tired and not thinking well from lack of sleep. So leave a light on, go to sleep, and be ready to face your demons in the morning. They’ll eventually be bored and go away, I think.

My own “fear of the dark” is of tripping on the dorg if she’s lying in the hallway, or slipping on something that has been left on the stairs, for example.

Another couple of ideas:
1. Before bed, meditate on the phrase, “Protect me from inner and outer harm.” If you want to make this into a prayer, that’s fine.
and/or….
2. Face your fears head-on and say aloud something like, “Hey, big scary guy, come get me. I dare you!”