r/ptsd•
Tricky_Advice_3606

I think sleep training traumatized me and i feel really stupid

Venting

My mom did sleep training with me when I was around 2 and it still scares me randomly and I feel really stupid about it.

I had kept trying to open the door at the time to cover a doll that was scaring me but she kept telling me I had to rest and then she'd shut the door. It got to the point where she had to put a chair in front of the door to keep me from getting out and at that point I was screaming and crying. I tried everything like covering myself with a blanket while I was in the crib, but i still felt unsafe and I'd eventually try to escape again. this had felt like it went on for an hour.

I can't remember what happened after that or when i was picked up by her but i know i eventually did get comfort. she was holding me with the door open trying to comfort me and asking me "what's wrong?" I remember not being able to breathe because I was still crying so hard.

I remember feeling TERRIFIED. and for awhile i didn't even know it was sleep training, or that that was even a thing, and i didn't know that's what it was until i turned 18 and had started feeling scared of it again and brought up the memory to my mom. for awhile I had genuinely thought my mom just didn't want me out of bed at the time and was getting annoyed with me.

I'd go through phases where I'd feel scared of it, it was almost always at night and at one point it had gotten so bad I literally went to my mom's room at night and started crying that I was scared, despite being 18, and she got pretty upset at me and didn't seem to care much which still upsets me when I think about it. I felt pretty gross after.

It could explain my horrible fear of the dark that I still have, and why I'm still so attached to my mom, but I don't know if it was that serious. I also really don't know what to do and i feel really stupid.

And ever since I brought it up to my psychiatrist, the fear has gotten bad again. and It's making it hard to sleep currently because i feel paranoid.

It feels like both my mom and psychiatrist don't take it as seriously, and I'm worried I'm overreacting, or maybe I'm overreacting about them not taking it seriously.

Posted Jun 27, 2026, 7:18 AM UTC

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