Naps and sleep as escape

[Tegan_sky]

Hi. Does anyone else use napping as a means of escape, as in, if feelings are just too much, go to sleep for a while, in the hopes of feeling better once awake? Or also as a means, if depressed, a three hour nap is a three hour relief from any depressed or anxious feelings. I have been doing this for quite a while now, I attend Dual Diagnosis (addiction coupled with mental disorders) meetings online for 18 months. It was just mentioned there within the last week, others saying they have a hard time getting out, spending a lot of time in bed, taking naps, etc. It might sound funny, but it validated me. If I just know that I am not the only one, it is a tremendous help. If I am not napping, I still sit up in bed leaning my cushion against the wall, playing on the computer or journaling. It is only within the last week that after my nap I will sit on the sofa once awake. Even that seemingly minor thing feels like such progress.

 

[pole]

Hi. Does anyone else use napping as a means of escape, as in, if feelings are just too much, go to sleep for a while, in the hopes of feeling better once awake? Or also as a means, if depressed, a three hour nap is a three hour relief from any depressed or anxious feelings. I have been doing this for quite a while now, I attend Dual Diagnosis (addiction coupled with mental disorders) meetings online for 18 months. It was just mentioned there within the last week, others saying they have a hard time getting out, spending a lot of time in bed, taking naps, etc. It might sound funny, but it validated me. If I just know that I am not the only one, it is a tremendous help. If I am not napping, I still sit up in bed leaning my cushion against the wall, playing on the computer or journaling. It is only within the last week that after my nap I will sit on the sofa once awake. Even that seemingly minor thing feels like such progress.

yep. sleeping is an escape for me. theres times where i dont know if im sleeping or if im alive. like ill be in a deep sleep, and ill think im like actually in that reality in my sleep. but then as soon as i wake up, it hits me, like shit im back to my pathetic life, it was all just a dream.

i guess i get so caught up in my dream and my sleep when im asleep and dont know the difference is because of how at peace and calm i am when im sleeping, and how peaceful my dreams are.

 

[EmptySteph62]

Yes although I have insomnia, but I do take sleep aids and try and stay in bed away from life for as long as possible and I nail alot when I'm able to. I agree it's a way of escaping and being unconscious is just so much easier and helps the time pass by.

 

[HGL91]

I love to lay in bed. It's so comforting.

 

[Susannah]

Yes! That's very normal for people to do. And it's often very good for our mind and body.

I'm so glad I sleep well. It's a pain for those who struggle with sleeping problems, and have illnesses.

 

[k75]

I know it's a bad coping skill, but I abuse sleep as much as I can. I have sleep issues and dream issues, so it's usually not a great escape, but most of the time I feel like I'm only safe when I'm sleeping. If I'm asleep, I'm not out there killing myself, you know? Sometimes I feel like I can't trust myself to get out of bed, so I just don't. I guess I'd better hope I don't start sleepwalking...

 

[No_more]

It's nice to dream that people and animals that have died in real life are still alive, but it's horrible waking up and remembering that they're dead.

 

[HGL91]

It's nice to dream that people and animals that have died in real life are still alive, but it's horrible waking up and remembering that they're dead.

Yeah. I love dreaming about my grandmother and going to the beach club she belonged to. Then I wake up and remember I live in Utah now, that she's dead, and there is no ocean in this state.

 

[aviator8]

you guys seem to be able to sleep and I cant can you help me? I have a thread about this https://sanctioned-suicide.net/threads/i-need-to-control-how-i-sleep-to-ctb.21330/

 

[bunny]

it's hard to sleep because i have really bad nightmares, but i do like being under a blanket :(

 

[aviator8]

how do you do it then bunny?

 

[bunny]

i barely sleep. maybe 3 hours at most. i've recently gotten medicated again so it might help... but i'm afraid of sleeping because of the nightmares

 

[catharticEscapism]

"Naps" aren't really applicable to what I do. I just sleep upwards of 20 hours a day because I can't stand being awake. It's an escape from my depression and, when I'm dreaming, I have actual emotions again so it feels like I'm living another life until I wake up.

The only literal downside to sleeping so much is that it makes me back and body ache.

 

[Rachel74]

I've had to stop napping as it was affecting my night sleep. At the moment I'm doing ok sleep wise if I'm not distrurbed, I did go through last week with decent sleep but the week before it was awful. Not slept great the last 2 nights as I'm worrying about work. So many demons in my head right now but the main one is paranoia.

 

[TheEgg]

It's good to sleep and don't think about anything but doesn't really work for me. It's hard to fall asleep and I wake up very often....

 

[Squiddy]

Yup, I take naps all the time to escape. I actually took one a few hours ago and my naps usually last hours instead of a couple of minutes

 

[Stan]

Currently doing 2 days without sleep, then a day with about 5 hours sleep then back to the two days off again. Apparently I might be getting 'microsleeps' but don't know about it

 

[azucaramargo]

Hi. Does anyone else use napping as a means of escape, as in, if feelings are just too much, go to sleep for a while, in the hopes of feeling better once awake? Or also as a means, if depressed, a three hour nap is a three hour relief from any depressed or anxious feelings. I have been doing this for quite a while now, I attend Dual Diagnosis (addiction coupled with mental disorders) meetings online for 18 months. It was just mentioned there within the last week, others saying they have a hard time getting out, spending a lot of time in bed, taking naps, etc. It might sound funny, but it validated me. If I just know that I am not the only one, it is a tremendous help. If I am not napping, I still sit up in bed leaning my cushion against the wall, playing on the computer or journaling. It is only within the last week that after my nap I will sit on the sofa once awake. Even that seemingly minor thing feels like such progress.

Abso-fruitly!

 

[mathieu]

Yes, I go to bed really early and have a nap or two during the day. Sweet relief.

 

[eve2004]

I would sleep 16-18 hours a day if I could... I don't have enough meds to do it. My psych has me on a short leash and knows I have a tendancy to impulsively overdose in order to sleep more. I could stockpile but what do I do in the meantime?!!?!

Currently doing 2 days without sleep, then a day with about 5 hours sleep then back to the two days off again. Apparently I might be getting 'microsleeps' but don't know about it

I could not function on insomnia. I had to abuse all kinds of OTC legal sedatives to the point of extremely high tolerance to make it from one day to the next without botching a CTB attempt. I went cold turkey off of them and didn't sleep for 3 days, the slept 12 hours a day on my own, no meds... Currently I take a regular dose of benzos but clearly am becoming tolerant because I took it 3 hours ago.... FML.

 

[Bea]

Hi. Does anyone else use napping as a means of escape, as in, if feelings are just too much, go to sleep for a while, in the hopes of feeling better once awake? Or also as a means, if depressed, a three hour nap is a three hour relief from any depressed or anxious feelings. I have been doing this for quite a while now, I attend Dual Diagnosis (addiction coupled with mental disorders) meetings online for 18 months. It was just mentioned there within the last week, others saying they have a hard time getting out, spending a lot of time in bed, taking naps, etc. It might sound funny, but it validated me. If I just know that I am not the only one, it is a tremendous help. If I am not napping, I still sit up in bed leaning my cushion against the wall, playing on the computer or journaling. It is only within the last week that after my nap I will sit on the sofa once awake. Even that seemingly minor thing feels like such progress.

;_
YES!!!!!! YES, and YES, and YES! Every little step is progress. I am so proud of myself when I freaking wash my hair. Or shave. Bottom line (no pun intended, ha!) ~ I hear you, girl, and yes, every little step is progress. Every single solitary one.
Also, are you familiar with this Thoreau quote? ~

"A single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives."

 

[Nem]

I'm lucky to get more than three hours of sleep a day, if I could nap etc I'd be much better off. My next longest sleep will be in a casket
Peace/hugs

 

[phoenix_borderless]

That's the only thing that appeals to me now. I do nothing but sleep/rest.

It's a good escape from life and suicidal thoughts. Because it resets our moods somehow.

 

[CTisME]

In bed right now. It's a huge point of contention between my spouse and I. I love it here. I can doze in and out. Deep sleep. Be essentially dead to the world.

 

[clownangel]

I'm terrible at naps (anxiety) unless I'm sick but when I go to bed it's for 10-12hrs minimum because of this.

Last week I slept maybe 16hrs most days for the first time in a while, practically live in my bed most other times though. (I've been an insomniac most of my life and up until a couple years ago my sleep was never deep enough to dream, with my medication now half the time I feel like I'm addicted to the escape now that it's more vivid)

 

[Ness]

Wish I could, getting to sleep for ages is a wonderful thing except that I have nightmares and that I have to time it all at once because if I nap, I can't sleep at all. But the biggest issue is probably that sometimes I just prefer the nightmares over life itself.

 

[stellabelle]

My little nest of blankets is my safe space. I find peace there. I wish I could sleep more than I already do because I'm so tired. I just want to work on making that bed even more cozy and stay in for a while.

 

[Sweet emotion]

I can relate to you very much on your post. I have a condition called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome which is the highest ranking pain condition in medical history. So there is the physical pain, the depression, and the anxiety. So yes when I just don't want to be alone with my thoughts anymore or live inside my head or feel the pain, I sedate myself. I know to a lot of people this is wrong but let them come and walk around in my shoes and see what it's like. And for some reason I like sleeping in the day a lot more than sleeping at night. I know this sounds crazy but I get scared when I have to fall asleep at night. I feel like pressure is out upon me to be like a normal person and sleep when a certain time comes. And with my pain it's hard to do. I get sleep wherever I can. Sometimes the pain will have me awake for days. And I get so tired of my family saying.....well you're not sleeping at night that is why you're sleeping in the day. No! Really?!?! I had no idea! Yeah that I what pain does to people. It disrupts their sleeping pattern. When you're in so much pain at night that you can't sleep you're bound to fall asleep in the day time. Then they tell me to stay up all day no matter how tired I am. But that doesnt work because if I'm dead tired I'm not going to deny mysef sleep.

I'm terrible at naps (anxiety) unless I'm sick but when I go to bed it's for 10-12hrs minimum because of this.

Last week I slept maybe 16hrs most days for the first time in a while, practically live in my bed most other times though. (I've been an insomniac most of my life and up until a couple years ago my sleep was never deep enough to dream, with my medication now half the time I feel like I'm addicted to the escape now that it's more vivid)

I love my dreams too. Especially when they involve Jason Momoa haha. But mine are very vivid as well. I can feel everything. It's all so real and they're usually good dreams so I enjoy napping. Im able to go to places I'd never be able to travel to and am able to do things I'm not able to physically do.