How to fall asleep after watching, seeing, or reading something truly frightening.

Sometimes, watching a movie or TV show, or reading a novel or story can be so terrifying that you can't fall asleep immediately afterward. Occasionally, you might even experience something even more terrifying, such as a supernatural phenomenon, which can make it even harder to sleep. Remember, you're not alone in this experience, and you can absolutely overcome insomnia caused by fear. Here are some methods that can help you.

Focus on something calming before bed. Before going to sleep, try to focus on something less frightening – or even something that brings you happiness. This will help you stop thinking about the things that scare you, and distractions can make it easier to fall asleep. There are many ways to distract yourself and drift off to sleep.

• Think about happy memories. Maybe you have a childhood memory that makes you smile, or even a recent moment that, if you focus on it, will distract you and stop you from thinking about the fear after watching a scary movie, for example.
• Look for an object in your bedroom to focus on. In your mind, think about how you would describe the object to someone else. What does it look like? What are its lines and contours like? Does it remind you of anything? What is it? How did you get this object? Who gave it to you? Simple questions like these can help you focus on something else, and you'll soon forget the terrifying thing that haunts you and keeps you from falling asleep.

Listen to soothing music. Whether you are listening to any genre of relaxing music, it’s important to turn down the volume when you are trying to fall asleep. Music can be quite helpful in aiding sleep, whether it's before or during the stage when you are trying to drift off.

• If silence makes you think of things that scare you, focus on the calming melody to distract yourself enough so that you can sleep peacefully.
• If you play a musical instrument, try focusing on how you would play that gentle piece. What are the chords in this piece? What is its time signature? Asking yourself questions like these can help take your mind off fear, and before you know it, you'll fall asleep!

Count sheep. It might sound silly, but using a method like "sleep-inducing" techniques when you're not afraid can be very beneficial when you are feeling scared. Counting sheep simply means imagining sheep in your mind as you try to fall asleep, assigning a number to each one. This mental exercise can help you drift off to sleep more easily.

• You don't necessarily need to focus on sheep—you could visualize an entire kingdom of animals if that helps!
• Let your imagination form details about the animals you're picturing, whether it’s sheep or another kind. Pay attention to the wool/fur, hooves/legs, etc. Again, the goal is to distract yourself, so the more detailed you get, the easier it will be to stop feeling scared and start drifting off to sleep.

Focus on your breathing rhythm. Another technique, often used by meditation practitioners to reach a state of calm, is focusing on your breathing rhythm. This can also be an effective way to fall asleep faster.

• One method to concentrate on your breath and clear your mind of fear is to count your breathing. Count each inhale after you exhale, and you'll be able to enter a state of tranquility sufficient to sleep, no matter what fears are on your mind.
• Another approach to focus on your breath is to silently repeat the words "in" and "out" to yourself as you breathe in and out. You don’t need to say them aloud, just whisper "in" when you breathe in, "out" when you exhale, etc.

Engage in other activities to restore calm. In addition to deep breathing, activities like meditation, yoga, relaxation therapy, muscle relaxation, or positive thinking can help relax the nervous system and restore calm. The nervous system triggers your fight-or-flight response, increasing heart rate and releasing adrenaline, making it harder to sleep. These activities can help relax your nervous system, making it easier for you to fall asleep.

Open or close the door – choose whichever action makes you feel more comfortable.

• For instance, if opening the door allows a bit of light and support to filter into your room, helping you feel less cramped, you can open it to create a more comfortable environment while you sleep.
• If closing the door while sleeping makes you feel safer, you can do so when trying to sleep. Anything that helps you feel more comfortable and secure, such as after watching a scary movie, can increase the chances of you falling asleep.

Keep the lights on while sleeping. In horror films, TV shows, and similar contexts, darkness is often associated with fear. Keeping the lights on while you sleep can help minimize this fear and make it easier for you to fall asleep. However, this might be harmful to your health, so it’s best not to make this a regular habit.

• Turn on a nightlight or a small lamp. These will provide enough light to reassure you without interfering with your ability to sleep.
• A TV can emit a gentle light flow that allows you to drift into sleep, even if you turn off the sound and simply leave the TV on to provide some light.

Keep a lucky charm or talisman nearby. If you own a lucky rabbit's foot or a dreamcatcher, you should keep them close by when trying to sleep. This can help bring a sense of reassurance to you.

• If you follow a certain religion, you might want to keep items related to that religion nearby, such as beside your bed or under your pillow. Items may include prayer beads or a crucifix, for example.

Read a book. Books offer a wealth of details and can easily immerse you in the story, allowing you to leave behind the world around you, along with your own thoughts and emotions, including any fears brought on by something scary, and help you stop focusing on those frightening thoughts. This isn’t the only benefit reading before bed can provide; it also gives you plenty of reasons to build this habit.

• Remember, the type of book you choose should not be scary. Otherwise, you’ll defeat the purpose of reading to keep your mind occupied.
• Choose books that are lighthearted, humorous, or complex enough to help you focus more effectively.
• Consider reading books on subjects that don’t interest you, such as textbooks or similar, because they might lull you to sleep.

Watch a comedy after a scary movie. Humor is a great way to keep your mind occupied when you're too scared to fall asleep. In fact, humor, including laughter, is very beneficial for your health.

• The media you engage with before going to bed can also affect your dreams, so watching something less frightening before sleep may help prevent sleep difficulties right from the start.
• Even better, choose something you're already familiar with – like a favorite movie – to watch after experiencing something frightening. This not only prevents creepy elements from influencing your dreams but can also hinder your ability to fall asleep. However, it will provide comfort as it's something you know well.

Do some crafts. A fantastic way to keep your mind busy when you're struggling with sleep is through crafting. The repetitive nature of crafting can act as a trigger to keep your mind engaged. Some crafts you can do include:

• Crochet
• Knitting
• Cross-stitching

Remind yourself that anything scary in movies, novels, etc., is not real and therefore will never happen to you. Thinking about things that frighten you in this way can be quite helpful in overcoming your fear and drifting into sleep.

• If the movie or novel that scares you is based on a true story, consider whether something so serious could actually happen to you. Chances are, you will rarely experience something similar, especially right after you’ve just encountered that situation in the movie.

Imagine that a character – either real or fictional – that you admire is always there to protect you. For example, you can pretend that a friendly dragon is guarding your door, ready to protect you.

• You can even turn the frightening scenes from books or movies into something silly and funny, making whatever scares you no longer seem so scary.
• Picture yourself and a fierce or heroic character defeating whatever scares you in the most exaggerated way possible.
• Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you simply can’t shake off the event that’s frightening you. But remember, if the author or filmmaker can create these things, they are simply born from their imagination. Thinking about the frightening elements this way can help you overcome your fear.

Focus on the differences between your current location and the setting of the movie or novel that is scaring you. The contrast may be so significant that it helps you diminish your fear and fall asleep.

• For example, in the movie Paranormal Activity, the protagonist’s bed is right by the door. If your bed is on the opposite side of the room, would you be experiencing the same situation?
• If anything that scares you is purely fictional, then it doesn’t matter where it happens, because the entire story is made up. Thinking this way can help you conclude that there’s nothing to fear.

Ask others about their lives. Talking to people about their day can help you forget your fear. If it’s not too late, you could chat or call a friend and say, “I just watched a really scary movie, and I’m still scared. Can we talk for a bit? What did you do today?” Focusing on listening to someone else’s story can help distract you and calm you down. Ask about their life, and steer clear of any topics that might bring up fear.

Talk to someone about your fears. Discussing your fears can help diminish them because sometimes, just talking about them can reveal how irrational they are.

• Talk to your parents. Your mom or dad can provide the comfort you need.
• Share with your friends. Friends are an important part of our support system, so they can offer the encouragement you need to overcome your fears.
• Talk to your significant other. No one understands you and your fears better than the person you love—husband, wife, partner, etc. Talking to them can help you overcome your fear.

Sleep with someone else. You might feel safer sleeping with another person—your partner, parents, friends, siblings, etc.

• If you usually sleep with someone, like your partner, you can ask them to hold you while you sleep, helping you feel more secure and comforted.
• If you sleep with a friend, this could also be helpful.
• Depending on your age, you may feel more at ease sleeping with your parents or siblings, which can make you feel safer and overcome your fear.

Seek professional help. If you find yourself easily scared and unable to overcome your fear to fall asleep, you should consider seeing a psychiatrist.

• Talking to a psychiatrist may carry a certain stigma, but don't be discouraged—especially if you're dealing with insomnia.
• A psychiatrist can provide you with medication that helps calm you down and makes it easier to sleep, but you should not misuse it.

• Try watching the "Behind the Scenes" of the movie if possible. This will help reassure you that everything is just staged.
• Sleep with your pets in the room or on your bed to gain the support you need.
• Avoid reading books or watching horror movies in the bedroom or any place where you plan to sleep; this will only associate that area with fear and make it harder for you to sleep.
• Research the movie or novel beforehand to see if it really is as terrifying as it seems, especially if you tend to get scared easily by these elements.
• Watch a horror movie when you know you won’t be sleeping alone, such as when you’re staying at your own house.
• Look away when the movie gets too scary.
• Cover your ears if something terrifying is happening or about to happen. This way, you can watch the movie but block out any frightening sounds.
• Watch or read something humorous to distract your mind.
• If your surroundings resemble the movie or story you've seen, such as a wardrobe in the bedroom, you can open the wardrobe and place a nightlight inside or next to it, or fill it with items to reassure yourself that no one can hide inside.
• Remind yourself that everything is just acting, not real!

• Respect others. If someone stays at your place and a few of your friends don't want to watch a horror movie, don't force them.
• Never watch a horror movie if you are easily affected by disturbing content.
• If you do not take the appropriate precautions as mentioned above, some films/books may affect you for weeks, even months, after you’ve watched/read them.