Some people are having trouble sleeping after watching hair-raising movies. It gets into their psyche that getting it over is hard for them. Thrills can be fun to watch but surely also ruin your sleep. So are you a fan of scary movies, and you’re finding it hard to sleep at night?
Avoid watching scary movies before bedtime if you get spooked easily. Most thoughts are irrational regarding spooky things. Watch the movie with a friend or partner and discuss your fears. This often produces rational thoughts, and your fear will subside.
If you have trouble sleeping after watching a horror movie, here are a few things you can try:
- Avoid watching horror movies before bed: It is generally best to avoid watching horror movies or other intense or stimulating content before bed, as it can interfere with your sleep.
- Engage in relaxation techniques: Before going to bed, try engaging in relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, or meditation to help calm your mind and body.
- Avoid looking at screens for an hour before bed: The blue light emitted by screens can interfere with your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle. Try to avoid looking at screens for at least an hour before bed to give your brain time to wind down.
- Create a comfortable sleep environment: Make sure your bedroom is dark, quiet, and at a comfortable temperature. This can help create an environment that is conducive to sleep.
- Use white noise or calming music: Listening to white noise or calming music can help drown out any noise that may be disrupting your sleep and help you relax.
- Talk to your doctor: If you are having persistent difficulty sleeping after watching horror movies or other intense content, you may want to talk to your doctor or a mental health professional. They can help determine the cause of your sleep problems and suggest strategies to improve your sleep.
I hope these tips are helpful! If you have any other questions about sleeping after watching a horror movie, feel free to ask.
Why we watch scary movies?
Curiosity pushes people into the unknown. The mystery of paranormal activities, for instance, is so enticing that people scare themselves silly and disrupt their sleep. If you are one of the many who enjoy the spine-tingling thrill of a horror movie and cannot sleep afterwards, then you need to reframe your perspective.
The human brain is equipped with a nervous system that controls and elicits a response when faced with feelings of stress, fear, and anxiety that germinate from watching a horror movie.
It releases stimulating hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline responsible for the “fight or flight” and “rest or digest” reactions when beset with fear.
After the onslaught of a frightening episode, the nervous system releases another set of hormones known as endorphins. The main job of these hormones is to induce a feel-good factor and sense of calmness leading to heavenly zzz’s.
Stress resulting from fear is not favorable for a restful and restorative slumber. Sleepless nights caused by a horror flick may have severe repercussions if left unattended.
Giving yourself enough time to unwind and relax like working out, talking to a friend, or reading a book will enable you to sleep soundly.
How to sleep after watching a scary movie?
Scary movies are designed and created to compel a fictional scenario in which moviegoers’ primal human responses are directly activated emotionally, mentally, and physically.
Varied individual reactions after watching a scary movie depend on various factors, including personal experience and psychological susceptibility.
Although with time and maturity and some counseling from a licensed therapist and more exposure to scary movies, ascertaining and differentiating between genuine and fictional threats can quickly help you in recovering from the shock and, thus, alleviate the fear of going to bed at night.
There are also coping techniques like deep breathing, relaxation therapy, or visualizing a happy place or event that is of tremendous help if sleeping at night is elusive.
But the question remains: how can you overcome fear and get to sleep after watching a disturbing movie?
If you have somebody to talk to, discuss it with them openly, what you think about the movie and how you feel about it. Don’t ignore your fears. Talk it out. If you have someone to cuddle up with, hide behind scary scenes, and hang out after watching scary movies, it can help shake off the jitters away.
Try to avoid watching a scary movie before bedtime. While a scary movie can be all fun, when it is time to go to sleep, your imagination may leave you too spooked to fall asleep. Thus, the after-effects of fear and the rise of adrenaline fight or flight hormones can somehow interfere with sleep.
Is it unhealthy to watch scary movies?
You would have to think, for some people, the answer must be yes, but the truth is a little fear does us no harm providing we can understand reality.
Some folks who have had traumatic experiences may react adversely when watching a horror movie, and in this situation, the person should avoid the horror movie.
Horror movies have the potential to trigger memories that have become distorted over time and may produce some real fears in a person.
How to sleep after watching a horror movie?
Realise it’s a movie, and the content does not match the reality of life. While horror movies can be entertaining and even scare the most rational people a little, the truth is scaring people is a science in Hollywood, and they know what buttons to press to make you freak out.
After watching a horror movie, discuss the content and the ridiculous perceptions represented on screen.
Drink some cocoa before bed, take a warm shower so when you hit the sheets, your mind is quiet and relaxed.
How do I stop thinking about scary things before bed?
There are some techniques to change your focus and stop being frightened before going to bed.
You can always stay awake, particularly if you don’t need to rise for work the following day, stay awake through the night and do some house chores. Sleep when the sun comes up. You will find it easier, and by that time, you will be tired and forget about the things that scare you.
Make a list of all the things that genuinely cause you to freak out. Is it the thought of an intruder with an axe and machete in hands.
Or is the thought of an Ouija board spelling out your name and letting you know demons are waiting for you?
For some folks, the scariest thing in their life is receiving the electricity bill. We are all different.
Distraction is a technique that you can use to stop your mind from working overtime and scaring yourself.
Watch a lighthearted movie or a love story, a movie that has meaning to you that you can watch over and over and still enjoy.
Meanwhile, prayer also helps if you are a believer.
