Hi, folks!  I really hope you can help me. 

I'm 40 years old, and have been experimenting with lucid dreaming (becoming aware while dreaming and controlling the dream) since college.  I'm pretty good at it - can fly almost every night. 

But my dreams are now as vivid as my waking hours - the difference being, horrible things can happen during dreamtime.  My control of dreams is far from perfect - so I've had horrific nightmares.  I also work with survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence, so I bring that violence into my dreams.

The result being: the last few years of my life, I've been more and more scared to fall asleep.  It's about being out of control in a way - feels kind of like a mini-fear of death. 

I've tried Reiki, tried soothing CDs, tried counseling and am at my wit's end.  Am going to try hypnotherapy, but I need help!  I'm up late now avoiding going to sleep - soon I'll be exhausted so will fall asleep then.  I'd SO love to just be relaxed when I fall asleep!

Apparently the name for the fear of falling asleep is "somnophobia."  Not that this helps me.  :)

Thanks!  - Ben

I hope the hypno therapy helps you I have heard it can be quite effective. What you are going through sounds like what my bf has to deal with. He hasn't found any solutions either. I feel bad because I don't dream much but when I do and they are vivid they are usually bad as well. I don't know why that is.

Follow the link below; you may get some help:

http://www.ndri.com/news/suggestions_for_improved_sleep-333.html