I'm nineteen years old, and diagnoses are: anorexia, ptsd, anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.

I can't sleep in beds!!

So with PTSD.... along with many other symptoms, I have this symptom that I can't seem to find any online information on, and I can't find any info on other ptsd sufferers with a similar experience.

My sleep isn't great, I'll probably sleep four or five nights a week (not quality sleep) and for the other nights I won't even get an hours sleep... but this is apparently common for people with ptsd. What I CANNOT seem to find info on or relating people, is this other symptom... I CANNOT sleep in my bed (any bed for that matter). If I'm having a good week, I can force myself to sleep ON TOP of the bed, but I haven't slept IN BED (like under the covers and blankets) for about 2.5 years. On a bad week, I can't even sleep on top of my bed, so I sleep on the ground. It's not only my own bed... I can't sleep in hospital beds, other people's beds, etc etc.

Has anyone else experienced this??? I feel completely alone and crazy and weird for this and I don't understand why I do it. I've told a psychiatrist about this issue once, but they just ignored it and never asked anything about it... even though it's a huge problem for me.

1. it's not normal, it's weird as all hell

2. I get so so cold at night

3. When I sleep on the ground i don't get a good sleep because it's SO uncomfortable

4. It's been going on for over 2 years....

And I could be wrong, maybe it's not a ptsd symptom, it may be a symptom of one of my other mental illnesses, but I have NO IDEA.

Hi BiddyB,

I don't have much dealings with PTSD as such but one thing mental health has taught me is there are many symptoms that don't seem to make sense. I haven't heard of not being able to sleep in a bed however... what goes through your head when you sleep in a bed, do you get other symptoms - heart racing, cold sweats etc? is it just that you cannot fall asleep or do you fall into a bit of a panic?

I would go back and speak to a GP about this, perhaps a new one if you aren't confident in your current one and explain from the start about what you are going through.

My best for you,

Jay

Dear BiddyB~

Thank you for posting. A big thing to try to do, seeking help from a bunch of strangers. I"m sure it is going to be helpful to you.

While I can relate to your post, I don't have an answer. I do however understand the feeling of not wanting to do something without a seemingly rational explanation..

I have PTSD, depression and anxiety, though I'm mostly better now. This has given me all the usual symptoms that one would expect. My chronic anxiety would come the closest to your problem in that it meant among other things that I wanted to avoid some ideas or objects - for example movies with fire in them or mailboxes - it doesn't matter why in this context.

The point being that there was a set of reasons for my behaviors, and within my mind it was a set of quite understandable reactions to events in my past. It took me a while to figure out the mailbox problem, the fire one was horribly obvious.

I guess in your case there maybe something somewhere that has triggered this reaction. If it was something minor - like my mailboxes - then it might not be worth going into in depth. However this is not the case. From the sound of things it is a major disruption to your life and health. So it does need dealing with.

Although you said you talked to a psychiatrist you did not actually say if you are under treatment at the moment. Hopefully you are.

When I was first ill I just listened to what the health professionals said and assumed they knew what they were doing - a bit trusting perhaps. While there are tons of good ones not all meet a person's specific needs. Either that or they don't fully understand all the problems that need to be addressed.

Can I suggest if you are under treatment that in your next appointment you emphasize this problem and start discussing possible steps to help. If you don't think you can explain clearly face to face then do what I did, and write it all down, what happens, why, what the results are In terms of life disruption, time it has been going on, and anything else you can think of that might be relevant.

Hand the paper over in the consultation and go through it together.

If you are not currently under treatment then if you are like me you should be. I found there was no way I could soldier on alone. It took meds, therapy, self-help and family support.

Would you like to write back and say more, about your treatments, if any, your family situation and so on? There'll be care and understanding.

Croix

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I think Croix has some good points. I avoid earth moving machinery and always have a bath in a darkened room. I think it is worth getting help when these things have an impact. I suspect that not sleeping in a bed could be problematic especially when it is cold. There is a range of therapy, and all have evidence that they work so it probably is best to find someone who you can talk to. I found CBT helpful because it helped with behavorial change.

Rob.