Thread: I'm afraid to fall asleep and need some urgent help!

Greetings. I'm very happy to find this forum. I did a similar thread in another forum for people with anxiety but it seems people here have a greater knowledge of dreams so you can help me more.

So, a week ago, I read about sleep paralysis and I freaked out. I suffer from anxiety so it was difficult to fall asleep. I read afterwards that they're very rare unless you have a sleep disorder or attempt lucid dreaming so I calmed down but it was too late.
My brain associates sleep and dreaming with danger now so I become very anxious when I'm trying to fall asleep, like a mechanism which protects me from danger. The idea of falling asleep, the transition from going conscious to unconscious as you enter in the dreamworld totally scares me. I hate the fact that I can't remember that transition and knowing that I'll be unconscious for like 8 hours too. I'm basically scared of the process of falling asleep and dreaming, be it good or bad dreams, for not reason at all.

No, it hasn't been always like this. It only started when I read about sleep paralysis but I don't fear sleep paralysis anymore, just the concept of falling asleep and dreaming. The fact that I know I'll be in a dream.

I'm having exams which are also making me anxious so that might be affecting. I'm hoping that I'll be back to "normal" after the exams but I don't know anymore.

I'm really desperate because I used to enjoy to sleep so much but now it's making anxious and driving me insane. I can only fall asleep through exhaustion and I can hardly sleep for more than 3 or 4 hours a day.

Can someone convinced me of not being scared of falling asleep and dreaming somehow? And don't advice me to try lucid dreaming, please. I find it interesting but I just want relearn on how to not fear sleep and dreaming for
now.
I don't how active this forum is but if you could help as soon as possible because I've a stressful day tomorrow and need some rest.