If you’re curious, try out how you score on the Fear of Sleep

1. I’m fearful of letting my guard down while sleeping.
2. I try to stay as alert as I can while lying in bed.
3. I’m fearful of the loss of control that I experience during sleep.
4. When I wake up in the night, I’m often terrified of returning to sleep.
5. I avoid going to sleep because I think I’ll have really bad dreams.
6. If I wake up in the middle of the night from a nightmare, I avoid returning to sleep because I might go back into the nightmare.
7. I’m afraid to close my eyes.
8. I feel it’s dangerous to fall asleep.
9. I’m aware of being vulnerable speciawhen I’m asleep.
10. I stay up late to avoid sleeping.
11. I try to stay alert to any strange noises while going to sleep.
12. Being in the dark scares me.
13. I sleep with a light on to feel safer.

Basically, the more items you say yes to or agree with, the higher your fear of sleep.

Fear of sleep, and related sleep disturbances (such as nightmares), is closely linked with symptoms of PTSD. For instance, around 50% to 70% of PTSD patients report that they often have nightmares.

If you agree with two or more of these items, consider discussing the results with your doctor, particularly a mental health professional.