Getting a good night's sleep, every night, is important for mental and physical health. As a group, Americans frequently don't get enough sleep. Adults need about seven to nine hours of sleep every night, but roughly 29 percent of adults report sleeping fewer than seven. Feeling tired? You're probably not as tired as those suffering from somniphobia, the fear of sleep.
Treating somniphobia is similar to treating other phobias: Before you can treat it properly, you need to know the cause. Rather than relying on sleeping pills, cognitive behavior therapy -- the same type of therapy used for other anxiety disorders -- may help a somniphobic regain control over sleep habits and remove the negative associations with sleep.