# Nighttime OCD routines interfering with sleep



## wonderingme (May 23, 2010)

I have this routine at night that I do before I feel relaxed enough to fall asleep. When I think about how ridiculous it is, it makes me wonder how bad this form of OCD is. It usually involves going to bed and getting up to check the bathroom and bedroom doors multiple times (maybe 5-10 times) to make sure they are closed. Also checking making sure the stove is turned off several times even though I know it is. I know it's probably excessive enough to be considered a severe case of OCD but it used to drive my ex-girlfriend crazy. 

I'd be curious to find out if others have/had OCD-type bedtime rituals and how they went about overcoming them.


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## jim_morrison (Aug 17, 2008)

I think that this is fairly standard OCD behaviour, I do similair things, mostly double checking that electrical appliances are unplugged, taps are turned off, doors are locked when I have to go out, etc. If it happens around a certain time like say in your case bedtime, that could be telling that that particular time of day or event seems to cause you increased anxiety for whatever reason. So maybe try asking yourself what about bedtime causes you so much anxiety. Just an idea.


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

I would deliberately break one of the behaviors and see what happens - the world won't end if you only check the stove four times instead of five. I had an OCD behavior of 666 on my odometer and not looking at it three times. One time, I did it ten times and felt relieved. It hasn't been a problem since.


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## wonderingme (May 23, 2010)

Thanks for the suggestions. When I think about the thoughts going through my head, it's not like I actually count how many times I check on something. It's more like I quit checking after a "click" goes through my head telling me I'm satisfied and can quit checking. Sometimes I'll go to bed and then the thought will come back up again like a bad itch and it won't leave me alone until I check. After a few times of repeating this, I eventually just get tired (or maybe it's my brain that gets tired) of the whole thing and eventually go to bed. Don't know if anyone can relate to this or not.


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## Surrendering (Nov 4, 2012)

Hi,

I would love to share ideas on how to combat this as I have the EXACT same problem. If you have found any advice that has helped I would LOVE to hear about it.


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## wires (Apr 11, 2012)

i can't say - well, i can't even say it now. let's put it another way - i have to say "see you in the morning" before i go to bed. or i'll die.

other than that, i'm pretty lucky. my intrusive thoughts are a bugger at nights, though.


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## CK1708 (Mar 30, 2011)

I can't sleep at night, but I do have to check to see if anything is fine before going to bed


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## ChangelingGirl (Nov 15, 2012)

When I lived independently, I had this very elaborate compulsivie nighttime routine that was seriously interfering with my sleep. It only went away when I got admitted to the psychiatric ward and there was a nurse around in the office at night.


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## Fleur44 (Jul 24, 2012)

I have moderate-to-severe OCD, but I've been able to tame certain aspects over the years. I am most definitely a checker. If you're a light switch checker - don't keep turning the light on, then off again. Check it from the off position only. 

Use a flashlight or cell phone to illuminate the switch. Look at it without touching it and recognize that it's in the off position. Say it out loud, "The light is off." You might have to stare at it for a while to convince yourself, but that will decrease over time. 

If you must touch it, do it gently AFTER you've visually determined it to be off and repeat out loud that the light is off. Leave your hand on the switch - without flicking it on and off - and stand there until you're able to walk away, convinced that it's off. In time, you'll be able to complete the activity within a few seconds (without touching it at all). Same theory applies with the stove, faucet or any other device you need to check. 

I started doing this after I read that people with OCD get stuck checking things in the same way a scratched record gets stuck. The loop never closes. Your brain doesn't receive the signal that the activity has been completed. The signal (that the activity was completed) short circuits before it reaches its destination, so we repeat the activity until we get a clear, uninterrupted signal that the light is off. 

I was determined to find a way to close the loop on my own. 

It's much easier to accomplish if you don't touch the object you're checking and just look at it to determine if it's in the off position. You learn to trust what you see, knowing that if you touch the object, you might "inadvertently" turn it on again.


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## darkparadise (Oct 25, 2012)

Yeah I have OCD bedtime routines too. First I have to check there is nothing in my wardrobe lol then make sure the doors are tightly shut atleast twice. I also have a sink in my room and have to tighten the taps and make sure no water is running at least three times. Then I have to close and open my door until I am satisfied that it won't open by itself in the night. When I am in my bed I have to check all four top corners of my room and make sure no spiders/insects are there. It's so weird and I don't understand why I do it, but I think it is just to try and reassure myself and feel safe. I have tried just forcing myself not to do do these little things and it has worked (i have been able to fall asleep knowing that I haven't carried out my routine) so maybe you could just tell yourself "no, I am not going to do my usual routine" and just see what happens. If this doesn't work, just try eliminating each habit one by one, over a period of a week or month.


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## shammie (Oct 31, 2012)

I will go to the kitchen and watch tele at night. I've got the washing up from dinner to do. But I won't get up until I find something I want in the background. I will channel surf 15-odd music channels, trying to find something enjoyable to work to. 

Last night, I did it until 3am, when the channel stopped. I didn't find anything I wanted to listen to. 

But Christ, my sleep suffers for it. I can't explain 'why' I have to stay there until I find something... it's very odd.


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## tbyrfan (Feb 24, 2011)

I used to check the back door obsessively to make sure it was locked - it used to take me over half an hour before I would let myself go to bed. I also had this problem with my alarms - I would make sure that my two alarms were set for the right time, and I would have to keep repeating the time out loud. I only check the back door once now, but I still have a bit of a problem with the alarms, because I accidentally sleep through things sometimes and I get paranoid. I guess I just have to regulate my sleep cycle.


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## nessabrianne (Nov 8, 2014)

I have never even thought of this to be a OCD behaviors but when i told my mom she said it really sounds like i have OCD. before I sleep I have to wear certain clothes (tank top, long baggy pj pants, and even a certain type of underware or else I'll be uncomfortable) also i go to pee about 5 times before I sleep I have to get every last drop out or I won't be able to sleep then after that i make sure i unlock the bathroom door but i get out of bed and check it again just in case I forgot or cuZ I didn't remeber if i did or not. this is the same every single night and I never thought it was a problem but it seems to be to my parents . ughhh


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## SwtSurrender (Nov 24, 2014)

wonderingme said:


> I have this routine at night that I do before I feel relaxed enough to fall asleep. When I think about how ridiculous it is, it makes me wonder how bad this form of OCD is. It usually involves going to bed and getting up to check the bathroom and bedroom doors multiple times (maybe 5-10 times) to make sure they are closed. Also checking making sure the stove is turned off several times even though I know it is. I know it's probably excessive enough to be considered a severe case of OCD but it used to drive my ex-girlfriend crazy.
> 
> I'd be curious to find out if others have/had OCD-type bedtime rituals and how they went about overcoming them.


Overcome them with prozac man.

I am prozacked but I still have to check my bed and my bedroom walls and floor with blue flashlight for scorpions before I feel safe to go to bed yea. Before I was prozacked I used to check to see if everything that causes a fire is turned off, now I'm like uh who cares, I only think that everything will be ok, and then I am too somnolence to check anything anymore so then I :fall

But yeah I used to check doors to see if they are locked all the time, OCD, of course the first time I check the ******** doorknob it was locked but then my OCD was like, well check it again mate!

I still have OCD trichotillomania-style, but at least I feel more spaced out and it helps a little with it.


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## Relz (Oct 31, 2011)

I have lots of bedtime rituals too.

I need to make sure the front door is locked, the fridge is tightly closed, the stove is off, and the bedroom & bathroom door is locked. Have to make sure my car lights are off, check for bugs on the walls/ceiling, spread my quilt correctly on the bed.... then I have to set all my alarms (& check them a million times) set my glasses on the corner of my laptop, turn off the light, then get into bed lying on my right side before I can turn over or anything....

It sounds completely ridiculous typing all that out. ._. I knew it was bad, but wow. :um

The only thing that helps me is moving. If I'm in a new place I don't have the same checklist just because the environment is different (but if I stay long enough I will develop a ritual). Wish I could help. :/


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## birdlady (Jan 22, 2013)

I have alway's had an ocd about making sure every thing that open's is shut before i go to bed then after my mom mentioned it to my sister she started sneaking into my room and opening thing's just to annoy me so i told myself i wouldn't get up to shut everything and eventually i stopped until last year when someone left the back door open and my dog got outside.Then i started checking the door's and i pull on the handle twice to make sure it is really closed.I also check to make sure the oven is off. Then when i am going back into my room i see my nieces chinchilla staring at me so i will give him a treat or some sort of wood block.I did try not doing these thing's before but when i got in bed, i couldn't stop thinking about them.


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