A Phobia presents itself in a number of categories and is a source of fear and anxiety for a person.

A phobia is an anxiety disorder involving fear of a situation or object. Image: Phobia Stock Photos

Phobia of the Day: What is Somniphobia?

A phobia is an anxiety disorder involving fear of a situation or object. Exposure to the source of the fear triggers an irrational response.

by Arnold Charles

03-08-2023 08:06

in Offbeat

A phobia is an anxiety disorder involving fear of a situation or object. Image: Phobia Stock Photos

A phobia is an anxiety disorder involving excessive and persistent fear of a situation or object. Exposure to the source of the fear triggers an immediate anxiety response.

Most specific phobias fall into one of four major categories:

Fears of the natural environment
Fears related to animals
Fear related to medical treatments or issues
Fears related to specific situations

Phobia of the Day: Somniphobia is an irrational fear of sleep.

Somniphobia is an irrational fear of sleep. People may worry throughout the day about not being able to sleep. This worry can cause difficulties with focus or concentration. Often, somniphobia arises from a fear of having nightmares or experiencing sleep paralysis. People who’ve experienced trauma may also be more likely to develop somniphobia. The main symptom of somniphobia is intense distress when you think about or try to sleep. You may:

Avoid going to bed for as long as possible.
Feel irritable or have mood swings.
Leave lights or the television on when you try to sleep.
Struggle to concentrate throughout the day because sleep-related worry is so intense.