Hypnophobia (fear of sleep): causes, symptoms and treatment

Do you know what hypnophobia is? Also called somniphobia or clinophobia, it consists of the phobia of sleep. Sometimes it is related to having nightmares during the act of sleeping, and this can lead to emotions and disorders such as panic, anxiety and sadness.

In this article we explain what this disorder consists of, what are its symptoms, causes and treatments.

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Hypnophobia: a specific type of phobia

A phobia is a fear of high intensity and lacking reasoning, towards a person, thing or situation which is what is considered "the stimulus." There are phobias towards practically everything, but without a doubt, there are very peculiar and often dangerous phobias, which can significantly affect our day-to-day lives.

Hypnophobia is a very disabling phobia, since the act of sleeping is fundamental on a biological level to maintain our healthy circadian rhythm, regulate homeostasis (regulation of the body internally), as well as vital functions of the organism.

People who suffer from hypnophobia see their quality of life and well-being profoundly altered, either physically or mentally, due to fatigue, tiredness, lack of concentration, etc.

• We recommend you read: "The 20 rarest phobias of the human being"

Characteristics

Hypnophobia can occur at any age and is not characteristic of any specific age group. This phobia is exacerbated when the person has to lie down. The thoughts surrounding hypnophobia relate to the fear of dying at night or to suffer nightmares in general.

This leads to extreme anxiety where the person suffering from hypnophobia ends up manifesting panic and insomnia that often becomes chronic.

Symptoms

Then We show you the most frequent and characteristic symptoms that hypnophobia can cause:

• Elevated panic levels
• Anxiety and distress
• Pronounced nausea, fatigue, vomiting, and dizziness
• Sadness and depression
• Accelerated heart rate
• Dry mucous membranes (mainly lips)
• Insomnia and nightmares.
• Hallucinations and delusions (which can last for hours)
• Fear of the dark and being alone
• Concentration problems and irritability
• Difficulty breathing well
• Loss of consciousness
• Stress and physical exhaustion (consequence of the lack of hours of restful sleep)

It must be taken into account that these symptoms are named in a general way and therefore, appear (or no) more or less frequently, and with greater or less intensity, depending on the patient and each situation.

Causes

There are different causes that can trigger a pathology such as hypnophobia. It should be borne in mind that the emotion of fear is something that is learned, therefore, hypnophobia can appear due to learning. This learning can be through observation.

Other causes would be related to the fact that hypnophobia patients have had bad experiences during their sleeping hours.

Another reason why hypnophobia develops, and which we have already mentioned above, could be the fear of dying while sleeping.

And finally, hypnophobia is sometimes considered to have an idiopathic origin. This means that its origin is unknown or spontaneous.

Treatment

Treatment is variable and specific to each situation. The most essential thing, first of all, is to have a clear diagnosis of this pathology. The planning of the most appropriate treatment (s) must be something carried out by experts and taking into account all the characteristics of both the disorder and the subject who suffers it.

The most direct and obvious consequence of hypnophobia is not sleeping. This can seriously harm the health necessary to treat the phobia from a multidisciplinary perspective. This implies psychological treatment, and many times linked to pharmacological treatment.

1. Psychological treatment

Elementally, the most prominent techniques are therapies or relaxation techniques. Hypnosis sessions, as well as neurolinguistic programming, also have their weight.

All this increases its benefits if it is accompanied by psychological therapy or coaching where it is generally treat symptoms of anxiety, panic, and depression or hypnophobia itself through cognitive therapy behavioral. This last method uses relaxation and exposure techniques.

The exposure technique is a technique frequently used to treat phobias, and consists of the exposure of the patient to the stimulus that produces the phobia, gradually (in this case the fact of to sleep).

Mindfulness

As an adjunct to these therapies, cognitive therapy based on "Mindfulness" can be used, which consists of the practice of Mindfulness to things, through which the patient acquires a series of healthy habits and that promotes the knowledge of their own personal strengths to face the situation.

These types of therapies are increasingly fashionable and are a type of therapy that treats from the depths of the individual in order to have tools for solving problems or conflicts.

The results are usually appreciated after a few weeks to months, depending on the degree of severity of the hypnophobia and the patient, as well as their level of commitment to therapy and predisposition. However, obviously the duration of treatment and recovery are also variable factors.

2. Pharmacotherapy

Although the treatment for hypnophobia par excellence is one that involves psychological intervention by experts, pharmacological treatments can be used. These treatments are coadjuvant but in many cases, essential for the person to overcome hypnophobia.

It must be taken into account that pharmacological treatment is used to treat the symptoms that can cause hypnophobia, and not to cure the pathology.

The most frequent anxiolytic drugs related to this pathology are those to treat anxiety such as anxiolytics, sedatives, sleep aids (to treat insomnia), tranquilizers, etc.

What to do if hypnophobia is suspected

Hypnophobia is a rare but complex disorder that can cause multiple and serious consequences for our lives, affecting its rhythm and quality, but it can be cured if you know well the characteristics of your situation and go to expert hands.

If you have several of the symptoms that we have named and / or the characteristics and details that we have mentioned fit your case, do not hesitate to act, either by notifying your family doctor of your situation so that he or she can refer you, or by going to a center specialized in the disorder of the dream.

In this way, you will be given the necessary tests and questions to obtain a diagnosis and in this way guide and treat your case in the most effective way.

Bibliographic references

• American Psychiatric Association -APA- (2014). DSM-5. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Madrid: Panamericana.

• Expert Consult, Sudhansu Chokroverty. 3rd edition. (2011). Sleep disorders medicine. S.A. ELSEVIER SPAIN.