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Never feel safe enough to sleep

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Confident
Even though I know I'm alone, I know my door is closed and locked, and nobody can crawl in through the window, I am too afraid to sleep still almost every night.

I had a few instances when I was living with room mates of random drunk guys coming into my room while I was sleeping, crawling into my bed and groping me. Also one of my roommates would try to break into my room every single night to make me have sex with him, we diidn't have locks on our doors. It was scary. I had to make people sleep over in my room in order to keep him out.. anyway I digress..

It's interesting how quickly my brain discards rationality and assumes someone will break into my room, or is hiding in it somewhere.

Does anyone have tips to increase comfort in sleepytimes?
 
It's horrible that you had those things happen, nobody deserves to have their living space be that unsafe. My trauma involved a lot of bad things happening in my bedroom, on my bed - even when I was trying to sleep, or was asleep. So I also have a lot of issues revolving around sleep, beds, being in a bedroom (even though it's so different from the one I was abused in)

Do you take any medications to assist with sleep?
If I'm having a particularly hard time it helps to add valium and doxylamine to my prazosin, and prazosin has like, completely changed my quality of sleep. Huge difference before and after. I just need my dose upped again >.<

I find that using my mental sanctuary/safe place when I am trying to sleep can help. Often my last memory before falling asleep, is doing that. For me, it's a completely imaginary place, up on top of a mountain, that's right by a really green valley with a very turny river going through it, and all these animals and stuff, and wind, and it's just really nice and peaceful, and I can see everything for miles around. There is also an invisible dome around the whole area, that acts like a forcefield and if I start having any intrusive thoughts or memories or worries while I am trying to sleep, sitting there visualizing that stuff, they will bounce off of the forcefield dome and fly away over the horizon.

It sounds kinda dumb but it helps, lol.

Another thing that has helped is imagining that I'm not laying in bed alone, but rather have a "ideal partner" holding me from behind and keeping me safe. I also cocoon myself in my blankets, I feel safer like that for some reason.

Having a light on when I am trying to sleep also helps, because if I open my eyes I immediately see there's nobody in my room. If you have a closet or something, or wherever it is you're afraid of people hiding, just leave it open.

Ugh, sleep problems just suck, and it's really hard to deal with falling asleep problems. I hope things improve for you soon.
 
I was never really able to "sleep" like a normal person and often when I did fall asleep I would some times start screaming because I was certain someone was lurking in my room (but those were flashbacks unfortunately) As I face the flashbacks and dealt with pieces of them and I did a 12 sessions of CPT for one specific trauma sleeping started happening. I used to be afraid to actually fall asleep because of nightmares-nights were not fun most of my life-so for past year and half I actually sleep most of the time and dreams are pleasant. So my tip is work on the trauma step by step, detail by detail. It's counterintuitive to do that- but it worked for me. Oh, yeah, I do remember a few years I swam laps at night and the nights I swam I slept really well. I had read in a wellness article that aerobic exercise at night helps people sleep. I found that to be true for me!
 
It's horrible that you had those things happen, nobody deserves to have their living space be that un...
Oh my goodness, thank you for the lengthy response.

I will have to try some of these out! I take prazosin for nightmares currently, but that is it.
It's weirdly hard trying to think in the moment of things to assist me, even though I know them somewhere in my brains. I will refer to this written when I forget again tonight :p

I was never really able to "sleep" like a normal person and often when I did fall asleep I would some t...
Time to learn how to swim!
Thank you for the response, I am currently in therapy and trying to learn how to.. face reality. I'll definitely be sticking with it
 
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Even though I know I'm alone, I know my door is closed and locked, and nobody can crawl in through the...

I just logged on to myptsd because I don't know what to do about poor sleep anymore and it's affecting my life REALLY badly. I'll also be reading the tips, but if it's any consolation, as sometimes it is with these things, you are not alone. Wishing us all better sleep!
 
Even though I know I'm alone, I know my door is closed and locked, and nobody can crawl in through the...

That's criminal and predatory. If that happens again, please contact the police. Nobody should put up with abuse.

Not sure about your current situation, but I'd get a lock for the door and put bottles or similar on your window ledges.

Get a dog. Dogs are wonderful to snuggle with and will definitely watch over you while you sleep.
 
That's criminal and predatory. If that happens again, please contact the police. Nobody should pu...
I am thankfully no longer in that living situation.
Bottles on the window ledges is a great idea! It will help me feel safer, even if it's just irrational paranoia at this point. Thank you.
 
I am thankfully no longer in that living situation.
Bottles on the window ledges is a great idea! It w...

Listen to your feelings.... Only you know the answer, but when something is nagging at my thoughts, there's usually some unfinished business that is trying to surface. Be gentle with yourself and be the parent you never had.
 
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