A lot of us are under the impression that children are the only ones who are afraid of the dark and nightfall. Did you know that there are plenty of adults who are repeatedly overwhelmed with fear and anxiety during the late hours of the night? There is nothing childish or immature about going through such a condition. It is a psychological problem that needs to be dealt with appropriately.
The problem with such conditions is that adults are too embarrassed or afraid to talk about how uncomfortable they feel during the hours of the night. People who suffer from this condition make the assumption that others will mock them, ridicule them or belittle them if they expose their discomforts. Regardless of how humiliating it might seem to open up about such issues, it always helps to share your story with someone. If you keep your distress locked up inside your heart, then you are going to have a much harder time dealing with it.
People believe that the fear of the dark or night-time anxiety is something that will fade away on its own. While it may be true for some people, this is not always the case. If you keep fear suppressed, then it will only intensify further with time. Once it goes beyond control, it can start affecting you in ways that you could have never imagined. Night-time anxiety can force you to stay up all night long and be sleep deprived. A sleep deprived person is very likely to underperform at work or in school. If you are in desperate need to alleviate nigh-time anxiety and fear, here are three tips that can help you out:
1) Do Not Sleep during the Middle of the Day
The thought of being the only one in the house who is awake during the late hours of the night is something that can terrify an individual. Being the only one who is up past midnight can put you in a state of loneliness and force you to feel isolated. Under such circumstances, fear takes over your mind and drift away into a world of horror that troubles your mind all throughout the night. This is why it is so important to get a good night’s sleep and go to bed at a timely hour.
One way of making sure that you fall asleep as soon as you hit the bed is by avoiding the mid-day nap. In many cultures, taking a mid-day nap is pretty much a daily habit that people cannot ignore. Regardless of whether you have this habit or not, you should never fall asleep during the middle of the day if you want to sleep early at night.
If you are really tired and are struggling to trudge through work, then you can take a power nap of no longer than 20 minutes. This short nap should be enough to stave off the sleepiness and give you the energy needed to continue with the rest of your work.
2) Take Deep Breaths or Meditate
Meditation is one of the simplest ways of overcoming anxiety and fear. Most of the times, anxiety and fear are products of stress. If your mind is stressed out, you are more likely to have difficulty sleeping at night. A stressed out mind is also the perfect nest for unaddressed fears. Extreme stress coupled with sleep deprivation can also cause a person to experience terrifying hallucinations. The last thing you want to hallucinate late at night is a blood thirsty clown with a dagger in his hand.
To avoid this quandary, take part in daily meditation. If meditation is not your thing, then you can at least focus on performing a few deep breathing techniques. These will help you relieve stress and attain relaxation. With a relaxed body and mind, you will be able to fall asleep much more easily.
3) Do Not Have a Heavy Meal before Bed
There is a relation between the type of food you consume and the quality of sleep you are going to enjoy. People, especially unrestrained foodies, like to have a really heavy meal before they go to bed. This is a very unhealthy practice to say the least. Most importantly, this bad habit will aggravate your night-time fear and anxiety. How so?
Eating a heavy meal activates the digestive system in full force. Your metabolism rates increase and your brain becomes more alert. This makes it much more difficult for you to shut your eyes and enjoy some much needed sleep.
Besides heavy meals, you are also strongly advised to avoid stimulants such as coffee, nicotine, alcohol and sugar before you go to bed. Stimulants will keep your brain awake for a long period of time. The longer your brain stays awake, the longer it will take for you to stop feeling anxious and afraid.