On rare occasions, when you had an early morning flight, you may have wanted to stay awake the whole night than sleep and fear not waking up on time. Well, some are afraid of falling asleep. Sweaty forehead, clammy palms, racing heart— bedtime’s scarier than a trip to the dentist. Welcome to the world of Somniphobia.
Thirty-one-year-old Basheer Ahmed from Bengaluru hasn’t been able to get back to his routine after Ramzan ended. Earlier, he was used to sleeping at 1 am and waking up at 8 am to report to work in an IT company. Ahmed is scared of falling asleep. Doctors have diagnosed him with Somniphobia, the fear of falling asleep.
Satadeepa Som, Consultant Psychologist with Allo Health, Bengaluru, who has been counselling Ahmed says that the phobia is considered a symptom of a more serious ailment in those with co-morbid conditions like Parkinson’s, PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) Dementia, Depression, etc.
Dr Sudhir Kumar, Professor and Head of the Department of Neurology at Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, says that about 60 percent of the population suffers from sleep issues, but as part of his work, he meets at least two people with Somniphobia a month in Hyderabad itself. “It is a mental and psychiatric issue that is related to an imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain,” he says.
The good news is that those suffering from Somniphobia need not suffer. They should seek help from a healthcare professional such as a neurologist or a psychiatrist. Initial treatment consists of counselling and cognitive behavior therapy. For severe cases, medical treatments are also available. The good news is that most people do fine and respond quite well to the treatment. Don’t lose sleep oversleep!
