I still sleep under the covers

[ducksal8]

Ever since I was young I slept under the cover because I was afraid of the dark and like monsters in movies. but now I'm 16 and I still sleep under the covers. How do I overcome this and sleep above the covers like a normal person?

[Ennui.]

Hey,

I think that it’s okay to be scared!

Don’t be embarrassed if you need to use a night light. They have some really cute ones on Amazon, and even ones that project things like stars onto the ceiling.

Try and also check the facts when you start to get scared. You’ve never seen a monster. Any noises you hear can probably be explained by other things like wind blowing. Shadows are probably from other objects in your room like a sweater out of place. Maybe even rearrange your room a little to prevent as many shadows and weird looking objects from being in your room.

Do you think it would help to create a relaxing environment for you to sleep in? For example I heard lavender and other scents sprayed on your pillow or in your room can be relaxing and help you sleep. There are even some nice smelling lotions that may help. There’s ones at Bath and Body Works for stress and sleep but there may be cheaper versions at other stores too. You can go to sleep to a guided meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, white noise, or calming music. Get your favorite soft blanket or a stuffed animal you can hold on to.

I hope some of these suggestions help!

Dez

[Astro04]

Heh, I also am still afraid of dark. Less but still. You're sleeping alone in the room? Your back is close to the wall or not?

Hi there, thanks for reaching out! I can see how you'd still have the memories of monsters in scary movies from when you were young; and it doesn't matter how old you get, that stuff can stay with us, especially if they were gruesome movies. So, there's absolutely no need to be embarrassed about having to sleep under the covers.

I think something you can start with is rearrange the furniture in your room; as Dez said, try to make it so there's as little creepy elements as possible such as shadows or dark spots. Perhaps also add some aesthetics to it as well; something that smells nice or is visually appealing to you. Dez made another great suggestion, perhaps get a cool night light and make sure there's nothing obstructing it that would create long shadows. You can also play some calming music throughout the night to help you sleep, if that's something that works for you.

I hope these suggestions were helpful! Wishing you the best of luck.

Jenna

[Rika]

I did the same thing for a long time because my cousins would mess with me a lot when they'd stay over. This was many years ago and I can sleep without being under the covers. I also know people who were in your situation too, and some still sleep under the covers out of habit.