OCD Routines at Bedtime

[Lizard1992]

Hi I am new on here and been looking to see if anyone has a similar problem to me. I suffer with social anxiety and other anxiety problems. I also have OCD espically before I go to bed. I am currently seeing someone for my anxiety and going to look at my OCD soon.
I was just wondering if anyone had similar routines as me.

Before I go to bed I have to take two glasses of water with me and they have to be filled up to a certain point, I also have a hot water bottle or one of them hotties with me.
When I get upstairs I have to sort my bed out and put everything away where it should be. Once all thats done I have to roll my dressing gown up in a certain way to hide the rope am I scared of it
I have to check my window is shut but unlocked, I do this a lot even get out of bed to check even though I have already done it a number of times.
The big problem is that I set my alarm to go off through the night, this is done twice around the same time with about 2 - 3 hours apart

I also get anxious if I don't have a hanky under my pillow, I need to wear socks for bed and have a cover over me (even in summer) and have a lose fitting PJ top (these things make me feel safer).

I am hoping to get all this sorted in my next sessions but wanted to some comfort to know I am not alone or that am werid for doing all this

Lizard

[stripeypurplekat]

You are so not alone lol. i take ages to sort out my bed to make sure that it is neat. i have a blanket which has to cover my bed perfectly then. it then takes me ages to sort out my curtain and i have to put my slippers and dressing gown on the floor in a certain way. ive got so used to it it doesnt bother me anymore.

[crystal17]

Dont feel alone, it seems a common thing to find the OCD tendencies get worse at night. I have to give my son 4 kisses before midnight and 4 afterwards, it means when I want to go to bed early I have to do all 8 of them before midnight and if I forget or am going out it causes a problem. I have to fast forward through the theme tune of my Friends dvd when I watch it every night to help me get to sleep, and it has to be every episode that I watch, I have to make sure my socks are in with the washing, if I forget to take them off and then do it last minute I cant just leave them on the floor, that would be awful...not because I'm tidy its just how I get at night. Nothing can be left, if I drop something it has to be picked up, if its left something might happen...

Its stressful, yet it makes me feel safer somehow. You are not alone in this!

[hallam11]

Hello

I am glad someone has bought this up as my compulsion or my "bedtime routine" is quite odd too. Firstly I have a routine, first I have to brush my teeth, then I have to go to my bed and take all my pilows off, and my quilt and make sure my bottom bed sheet is straight. If this gets tangled or scrunched up whilst I am in bed I will get out and repeat the process. I then put my ear plugs in (I can't sleep without them now, don't feel "safe with them out.)Then i have to go and wash my hands.

After that I will go into my room shut my door and have to put lip salve on my lips, they have to be covered! Then I use my olbas inhaler nasal stick.Then I have to check whats on tv, turn the sound down to zero - I can't mute it, turn the sleep timer on and put my remote away. After that I will attempt to relax and read my book but I usually concentrate on my curtains - this is probably my biggest bug bear - the loops at the top have to be equal and I will keep getting up until it is just right. Things have to put away on my sides too. If my hands feel a little dirty after putting things away I will wash them again - I have been known to wash them quite a few times.
My bedtime habits get worse the worse I am - if im more stressed then it gets more and more. I'll wash my hands more, get up to straighten my curtains more and straighten my bed more.
xx

Oh I forgot I have to make sure the back door is locked but I have to push it down to the count of 4 four times. Sometimes though as I am just about to climb the stairs I will go back and do that again. I will check the front door on the way past but I only need to push the handle down to the count of 4 once on the front door.

[StupidBrain]

Oh wow!

I'm so glad other people struggle around bedtime!! I don't have particular routines, just a lot of handwashing!!!

I get more anxious when I'm tired, but the handwashing means I take aaages to get to bed. I went through a stage of being too tired to go and wash my hands again when I felt anxious in bed, and instead would lie there with the light on until 5 or 6 in the morning. I get stuck on the sofa downstairs because I'm too tired to face cleaning my teeth and don't get to bed until 3!

So annoying - I'm anxious because I'm tired, but I'm too anxious to sleep. Go figure.

[Steve37]

Hi I am new on here and been looking to see if anyone has a similar problem to me. I suffer with social anxiety and other anxiety problems. I also have OCD espically before I go to bed. I am currently seeing someone for my anxiety and going to look at my OCD soon.
I was just wondering if anyone had similar routines as me.

Before I go to bed I have to take two glasses of water with me and they have to be filled up to a certain point, I also have a hot water bottle or one of them hotties with me.
When I get upstairs I have to sort my bed out and put everything away where it should be. Once all thats done I have to roll my dressing gown up in a certain way to hide the rope am I scared of it
I have to check my window is shut but unlocked, I do this a lot even get out of bed to check even though I have already done it a number of times.
The big problem is that I set my alarm to go off through the night, this is done twice around the same time with about 2 - 3 hours apart

I also get anxious if I don't have a hanky under my pillow, I need to wear socks for bed and have a cover over me (even in summer) and have a lose fitting PJ top (these things make me feel safer).

I am hoping to get all this sorted in my next sessions but wanted to some comfort to know I am not alone or that am werid for doing all this

Lizard

I'm the same, it takes me at least 15-20 minutes to go to bed each night!

[Lizard1992]

Thanks for your replies makes me feel better knowing I am not alone, this forum makes me feel so reasured even though I don't post much I read through posts which relate to what I am going through
Thanks everyone

[buffybot]

My ocd is worse at night also.