frustrated

[mommyof3]

I think the biggest thing this phobia does to me is hinder my sleep which affects so many areas of my life. My kids start school in the morning and I decided that I really need to stop this--I need to get some sleep so I can get up in the morning without being so dog-tired! I went to bed at 11 tonight and fell asleep at midnight (early for me) even though every time I try going to sleep before 2 I wake up feeling s*. But I told myself I was being ridiculous. HA! Sure enough I woke up at 1:30 with a yucky gassy feeling and now I am awake with stomach pains. I know it sounds like a self-fulfilling propecy, but I honestly have a stomach ache. The thing is, I know I'm not going to v*; it's not that kind of stomach ache. But here I am awake again with no hope of falling asleep anytime soon. I was just so proud of myself going to sleep like a normal person instead of fighting it like I usually do until I'm so tired I practically fall asleep sitting up. And now I'm gonna have to psych myself up again to go to bed at a decent hour tomorrow night. Tomorrow's already shot--I was going to go work out before the kids got up for school, but now I'm going to just have to struggle to stay awake long enough to get them out the door and then collapse back in bed and put nick jr. on for my 3 year old.


Anybody else find that this thing is worst at night??? For that hour between the time I went to bed and actually fell asleep I just listened for my kids getting up (I hate it when they get up at night even if the poor things just have to go potty!) and every little sound (a/c coming on,fridge making ice)would startle me because I am just so anxious. I end up half the time falling asleep sitting up with the TV on in the living room.

[angel13]

I feel your pain, mommyof3! I think I speak for nearly everyone here when I say emetophobia strikes worse at night than it does at day. Who knows why...I think we all share an irrationalfear of being sick in the middle of the night.


Sorry to hear you aren't sleeping well. It could be a number of things, including your anxiety, that is preventing you from getting a good night's rest. Haha, I actually own a book called "The little book of sleep" - and it suggests several ways of getting to sleep when you're having difficulty relaxing. You could try things like eating earlier in the night. The earlier you eat, the better you sleep, apparently. Also avoiding things like coffee, and other caffeinated drinks. You could try to be more physically active, too. Of course, with 3 kids, no doubt you are already very active, but often if youexhaust yourself physically, you'll have more chance of dropping off to sleep. There are other things too - one I find works is instructing myself to go to sleep. Instead of saying "I'll NEVER get to sleep tonight," I try to think "If I lie here and relax, I'll be asleep before I know it". Its all very spiritual, I know, but really - it works!


Basically, I just reccommend taking the time to wind down before gettinginto bed. Do something relaxing...it might mean reading a book, taking a bath, or just doing something quietly. I think if you can relax, and get rid of some of the tension that's keeping you awake worrying, then you'll have less reason to start thinking about your phobia. I do it all the time - whenever I can't sleep, I immediately start to think that its because I'm sick, which is not the case at all.


Hope all this helps a little bit! Somehow!

[jennyleigh1975]

I know how you feel (and I am a mommy of 3 too) I worry about my children waking up sick during the night. I also worry about them getting sick on the way to school, or home from school. How old are your children? Have you managed to take care of them while they are sick and not catch it?

[yenn]

I hate the nighttime. I have a number of rituals I have to do on a night although I don't really have specific daytime rituals. I fear hearing anybody get up during the night because I instantly assume it means they are up to go v*. I fall asleep with a hot water bottle (yes even in summer) because it soothes my anxious stomach, I have to have a fan on for noise, and I listen to my Ipod. This does not make for a good night of sleep, because although I fall asleep relatively quickly, my Ipod wakes me up during the night almost every night and at least twice, and if it's before 4am (that's my "safe" time) I can't get back asleep without it. Crazy huh?

[zane2673]

I too have safe times to sleep. If I have one of my attacks, I can't getback to sleepuntil sometimes three or later. I didn't get like this until last winter when I experienced my first stomach virus experiences with my two kids. It took months for me to stop having anxiety attacks every night when I went to bed. I have to talk my self down and tell myself that it is utterly impossible that every night of my life I have to fear my children getting up and throwing up. I feel really stupid sometimes that I feel like this, but I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who fears the wee hours of themorning.

[donna1216]

I also lay awake at night waiting for one of them to be sick--and my kids are sick a lot, so it's not so crazy for me!!! And, I am a mommy of 3 too!!! My fears before Logan's 1 st day of school were right on anyway, she was sick the night of her 1st day (last Monday)

[mommyof3]

Thanks everyone! I was so surprised to come online today and see so many replies. I am so glad I found this site!!


I made it through the night and wasn't sick, just gassy--LOL!! Of course I got the kids off to school and had to go lie in bed for a while. I'm going to try to get to bed earlier tonight again.I like the suggestion someone said about not eating later into the evening. I also have battled IBS my whole life and I wonder if I have a problem with dairy (I had ice cream yesterday).


My kids are 7, 5, and 3. All three of them have been sick at one time or another. We have only had a sv go through our house twice where everyone got it (usually it's just one or two of us). HOWEVER, I don't v*, just have the other end problem and fight it with all my might. I do OK when I'm up with the kidswhen they v*. I have a whole ritual involving lysol, old white cloth diapers (can bleach them lol), and lots of handwashing! I work in a nursing home so actually one time I brought the illness home to them . Even tho I don't v*, it doesn't matter as we all know my fellow emets! I still fear it so bad and am a nervous wreck when our house is "under attack" lol. I don't eat hardly anything for a week after something goes through our house. It's funny though how the kidsv* doesn't bother me that much. In fact, when I know it's something I can't catch or don't v* with (when my sons had their tonsils out and had after-effects of anesthesia or when they have strep throat), I have absolutely no problem at all. My main focus when they v* is to not let them see me freak out because I DO NOT want them to end up like me. I reassure them the whole time that they are fine and they'll feel better soon.


I did get some pictures of the kids before they left this morning for school but I was so tired I forgot to get them by themselves for their scrapbooks (husbands just don't think of those things haha). I just hate how this stupid phobia intrudes on so many parts of my life!!


Thanks again. It's so reassuring to know I'm not alone (although I'm so sorry anybody goes through this!).