Being alone in the house at night can be a boring experience, but it can also be scary at times. Maybe you have always lived single, or you recently divorced or suffered the loss of your partner. Regardless of the circumstances you are in at the moment, by reading this article you will have more tools to deal with the sense of loneliness and fear that you may experience during the night. If you spend some time setting up healthy routines, keeping busy and distracted, safeguarding your safety, and staying in touch with other people throughout the day, you will be able to cope much better with being alone than night.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Take Care of Yourself
Step 1. Find occupations
To manage the sense of loneliness or isolation that you happen to feel during the night, find occupations and try to distract yourself. If you feel satisfaction in practicing your chosen hobby, time alone will cease to be a time to be afraid of and become an opportunity to look forward to. As possible occupations, consider some of the following activities:
- Light.
- Watching television.
- Listening to music.
- Write.
Step 2. Deal with sleeping alone
Sleeping alone can be complicated for various reasons: you may feel a sense of loneliness or longing for your partner who is no longer there, or you may be disturbed by strange noises. To best manage these problems, turn off your television, tablet or computer an hour before going to bed - ideal for preparing for sleep. There are also other ways to fall asleep easier:
- Avoid consuming alcoholic or caffeinated food and drinks in the last hours of the day.
- Avoid engaging in strenuous activities, such as gymnastics, right before bed.
- Keep the bedroom lights low.
- Put on some soft music.
- Use a white noise generator or put earplugs on to neutralize the loud sounds.
- Keep the bedroom ventilated.
- Use soft, comfortable bedding, such as a long pillow to hug.
- Wear a sleeping mask or pull the curtains to make the room dark.
- Instead of spending hours tossing and turning in bed without finding peace, get up and read a little, take a good bath or drink a hot herbal tea.
Step 3. Set up a routine
Organizing evenings at home on your own based on a series of daily activities will prevent you from indulging in depressing reflections about your loneliness. A routine can also serve to motivate you and give you satisfaction.
For example, if you come home at five in the afternoon, you can plan your evening so that you have time to relax, exercise, have dinner, socialize, and maybe even practice a hobby before bed. Going to bed at the same time can also be useful, even if, in reality, one of the advantages of living alone is that you can go to sleep whenever you want
Step 4. Eat regular meals
If you live alone or spend an evening on your own, maybe you think that preparing a good dinner and sitting down at the table is a waste of time. Instead, cooking well and respecting meal times is a good way to remove the sense of loneliness that you tend to feel during the night.
If, for example, you are at home alone during a holiday, take the opportunity to cook the same dishes you would do if you were with your family or company. While you eat, you can relive the special moments that are part of your memories and feel less alone
Step 5. Remind yourself of the positive aspects of living alone
Of course, living alone or finding yourself alone at night also has negative aspects and inconveniences, such as having to take on all the chores at home, but try not to focus too much on these aspects. Seeing the good in a situation also helps to improve the mood. For example, being alone allows you to:
- Put on the music you want and watch your favorite TV shows.
- Cleaning the house when it suits you best and dedicating the time you feel right to cleaning.
- Furnish and decorate your home in the way that suits you best.
- Enjoy the silence and "recharge your batteries" at the end of the day in the way you prefer.
Step 6. Try to recognize and embrace the feelings of loneliness
Living alone does not necessarily mean being alone: the important thing is to recognize and accept the feelings of loneliness as they arise. Reflect on your past experiences. Maybe you feel lonely because you are single, because you just got divorced, or because you recently suffered the loss of your partner. Expressing and understanding these feelings is an important step in starting to feel comfortable when you find yourself home alone.
- Keep a diary.
- Talk to a trusted friend.
- If the pain caused by a loss or separation is particularly intense, it is best to talk to a psychologist.
Part 2 of 3: Safeguard your security
Step 1. Make sure you feel safe in your home
If you are afraid that someone will enter your home or that a fire will break out, or you fear that you need urgent medical attention for some reason, taking preventive measures to ensure the necessary safety can help to reduce these types of fears. Here are a number of things you can do to prepare for an emergency situation:
- Close doors and windows tightly before going to sleep.
- Identify escape routes in case of fire.
- Consider installing an alarm.
- Make sure you have a charged and working phone handy.
- Take a self-defense course.
- Have a list of numbers to call in an emergency.
Step 2. Face your fears
When home alone, it's easy to give in to your fears and imagine a whole host of doomsday scenarios. It is tempting to keep the light and television on all the time, to constantly invite a friend to sleep, and to compulsively check that the doors are closed before going to bed. In the long run, however, these rituals will only increase the anxiety of being alone at night.
- Avoid asking someone to sleep over with you too often.
- Look for rational explanations for the noises you hear in the middle of the night.
- Put earplugs on or use a white noise generator to neutralize loud sounds.
- If in any case these fears begin to become obsessive or heavily interfere with sleep, see a psychologist.
Step 3. Make friends with the neighbors
Making friends with your neighbors is a great way to get to know each other and have someone care about you if you don't get in touch for a while. Plus it can be an opportunity to improve your social life! You can meet other singles who live in your building and devise a system to check in turn if you are okay, in case of prolonged absences from any of you.
Step 4. Find out where you can go in case of need
While one can learn to manage the loneliness and frustration that this condition entails, on the other hand there are circumstances in which being alone can be really dangerous. This is especially true if you are older or have chronic health problems. If you have any of the problems listed below, talk to a trusted friend, partner or doctor:
- Difficulty managing the medicines you need to take.
- Difficulty paying bills.
- Difficulty with personal hygiene.
- Difficulty respecting a healthy diet.
- Difficulty with balance and in case of falls.
- Difficulty keeping the house clean.
- Difficulty going out to nurture social relationships.
Part 3 of 3: Cultivating Social Relationships
Step 1. Socialize frequently
Social activity program with friends to be practiced regularly throughout the week. This helps you build your life, nurture social relationships, and improve your mood. If you keep busy interacting with others during the day, chances are you will feel less alone at night.
Step 2. Stay in touch with others via the internet or by phone
Learn to use computers and other devices that allow you to keep in touch with others without having to meet them in person. If you have friends who live far away, you can stay in touch with them via email, via Facebook, via Twitter or via Skype. When you come home in the evening, regularly hear from friends on the phone or exchange messages with them.
If you are unfamiliar with computers or if you are unfamiliar with surfing the internet, know that many libraries and recreation centers offer basic courses. It is also an opportunity to make new friends in the neighborhood
Step 3. Engage in the social
Consider getting more involved in the community you live in, such as volunteering, taking a class, and joining a club. This can make you feel less alone, give you a firmer foundation, improve your mood and increase your self-confidence, as well as allow you to get to know different people within the community you live in. When you return home in the evening you will be satisfied that you have spent a busy day in the company of other people and you will want to sleep.
Do not rush. You may feel uncomfortable at first - you may need to try out different environments before you find one where you feel completely comfortable
Step 4. Adopt a pet
With a pet at home, you may feel less alone and better cope with the night. Animals keep company and bring happiness. You can have a lot of fun with them, and if you are scared, you can sleep with them and feel safer.
