many shapes and forms
What is sleep anxiety?
Sleep anxiety may begin hours before bed — a sense of tension as the evening closes in. You may fear lying awake, obsess over the time, or dread what the night will bring. For others, the anxiety comes mid-sleep — sudden waking, panic in the dark, or nightmares that linger into daylight.
These experiences are often dismissed as stress or routine disruption. But they can also point to something else. Psychoanalysis sees sleep anxiety not as random dysfunction — but as a symptom that holds meaning.
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What causes sleep anxiety?
Insomnia and nighttime anxiety may follow trauma, loss, or emotional shock. But often, there’s no clear cause — only the quiet dread that appears as the world slows down.
In psychoanalysis, sleep isn’t just rest — it’s a symbolic surrender. For some, that surrender is intolerable. When control slips away, unspoken thoughts and anxieties can rise.
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How we work
We don’t offer routines, trackers, or prescribed advice. We offer a place to speak about what keeps the body awake — and to reflect on what it might mean.
Our approach listens for what the insomnia protects against, and how the mind might be using wakefulness as a defence. Over time, we work with what is unsaid — not to enforce sleep, but to understand what resists it.
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Is therapy for sleep anxiety or insomnia right for me?
You don’t need a sleep disorder diagnosis to begin.
You may be exhausted, or afraid of what happens when things get quiet. Perhaps you’ve tried routines, mindfulness, or medication — and still feel unsettled at night.
Whether this has been recent or lifelong, therapy can offer a new path. One that doesn’t simply push for rest, but listens for why rest has become so difficult.
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About Us
We are a patient-first professional counselling & psychotherapy clinic.
Psychoanalytically informed. Dublin based.
100%
Hold Masters Degrees
177+
Combined years of experience
1
Singular Treatment






