Insomnia: Trying to Sleep When it Storms

Storms keep me awake. I live in an area where tornadoes are a somewhat common occurrence. When we have a storm, there is often the possibility of it turning into something deadly.

When I hear thunder - I know I won't be getting any sleep.

My experience with storms is scary

A tree fell on my house during a storm when I was pregnant with my oldest daughter. I sat in a bathtub with my husband, daughter, and 3-day-old son as a deadly tornado touched down not far from us. My grandmother's home was picked up off its foundation, and 8 people died during that same storm.

I've stood on my front porch and listened to trees snapping during a storm that left a mile-long path of destruction just down the road from me. Straight-line winds and tornadoes are fairly common issues where I live, and it's scary.

A rational fear of storms agitates my insomnia

I have had my fair share of scares with storms. This isn't an irrational fear, so it's not a fear I can rationalize away. When severe storms are forecast for my area, I will be keeping a close eye on the radar. I might even step out onto the porch to see what's going on outside.

Unfortunately for me, it is most common for storms to move through my area after dark, quite often in the middle of the night. It is more unnerving when I can't see what's coming, and it's frightening thinking I might be asleep and miss a warning to seek shelter.

Staying awake to stay on top of storm warnings

How do I deal with the fear of missing a warning of a potentially deadly storm? Sleeping is not an option until the storm passes. I stay awake so I don't miss any potential warnings. While everyone else sleeps, I keep track of the weather.

Some nights I lie awake in bed and watch as the lightning illuminates the room. When the storm is close and the thunder is loud, I can feel the vibration. When the wind has a strong gust, I can hear it whistling through the trees. It invokes fear and a bit of panic. It all ends in a sleepless night because that fear leaves me on edge, making it difficult, if not impossible, to sleep.

A sense of relief makes it a little easier to rest

A recent bout of storms left me exhausted. There were 3 rounds to this system, lasting throughout the night and day. These storms were strong, and they did a fair amount of damage in my area. Trees were downed all over the place.

As these storms rolled through, I closely watched the radar and kept an eye on the trees surrounding my house. The sustained winds were alarming, and I was fortunate not to have a tree fall and cause damage to my property. Others were not as lucky. I couldn't nap between waves, so I was awake for an extended period of time. As the day went on, I was thankful to see calm, blue skies. It meant I could try to rest.

Do storms keep you awake? How does this agitate your insomnia? I would love to hear about your experience.