Sometimes, people even experience OCD symptoms like obsessions and compulsions while they’re sleeping.įor example, maybe someone with OCD mentally reviews their memories as they’re trying to fall asleep, searching for evidence that they’re not actually a pedophile. Recent studies suggest that people with OCD may be up to seven times more likely to be diagnosed with a sleep disorder than people without OCD. OCD is linked to sleep problems from nightmares to insomnia to delayed sleep phase disorder. Just like their waking lives, their sleep is often anything but peaceful. Although the exact nature of the relationship between OCD and sleep disorders isn’t yet clear, we do know that many people with OCD suffer from problems falling and staying asleep. Now picture that waking nightmare, and imagine it following you into even the deepest corners of your sleeping life as well. On top of that, the need to perform compulsions rob OCD sufferers of hours and hours of precious time that could be used doing other, more productive or enjoyable things. The compulsions are never enough to quell the doubt and anxiety that obsessions bring, so people with OCD live in a perpetual state of fear. Their lives become a waking hell made up of a vicious cycle of obsessions and compulsions. This leads to OCD sufferers not only engaging in the compulsive act once, but over and over and over again. OCD is often referred to as the doubting disease, because people with OCD are unable to tolerate even a small amount of uncertainty or doubt. But the problem with OCD is that the person who suffers from it is never convinced that they’re safe. This wouldn’t be such a big deal if the person with OCD could do this kind of anxiety-reducing act one time and move on with their lives. Maybe the person checks the stove to make sure it’s off, or puts the knife away to try to push the fear of killing from their mind. Compulsions are any kind of ritualistic or repetitive behavior that is an attempt to try to nullify or “cancel out” the fear or perceived danger of the obsessive thought. Almost everybody gets intrusive, random thoughts from time to time, but only people with OCD react to them with compulsive behavior.

There are no limits to what obsessive thoughts can be about usually, they revolve around an aspect of life that the person with OCD greatly values.Ĭompulsions are how the person with OCD reacts to the obsession. These thoughts could be anything from, “Did I turn the stove off?” to “What if I suddenly picked up this knife and stabbed my whole family to death?”.

Obsessions are intrusive, unwanted thoughts that cause a great deal of fear, dread, and anxiety. OCD has two primary symptoms: obsessions and compulsions. This illness often causes an extreme level of distress, and if left untreated, can wreak havoc on sufferers’ lives. On top of causing nightmares, as we’ll discuss for the rest of this article, it’s important not to forget that OCD is a living nightmare in and of itself. Not only do they need to deal with debilitating symptoms like obsessions and compulsions all day long, but their anxieties and fears can follow them into their sleep as well - causing insomnia and nightmares. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for many people living with OCD.

Intrusive thoughts ocd anxiety insomnia