Fear of bed bugs
A fear of bed bugs can make every hotel room, train seat and second-hand sofa feel like a threat, and leave you checking your own sheets at night long after the risk has passed.
Many people find that with the right help, they can travel, stay away from home and get into bed feeling relaxed, and stop checking and washing again and again.
Use code PHOBIA at checkout for half price: £24.50 instead of £49. Outside the UK? $29.50.
Understanding this fear
Nobody wants bed bugs, and sensible checks when you travel are reasonable. With a fear of bed bugs, the worry is far bigger than the real risk. It can keep you checking, washing and searching for hours, make you feel itchy when there is nothing there, and spoil sleep at home as well as away. News stories about bed bugs in cities can set it off in people who have never seen one.
It is closely linked to a fear of insects, a fear of parasites, a fear of germs and a fear of itching. For many people it is as much about feeling dirty or invaded as about the bugs themselves.
Common triggers
- Hotel rooms and holiday lets
- News and social media posts about bed bugs
- Itching or a mark on your skin
- Public transport and cinema seats
- Second-hand furniture, mattresses or clothes
- Guests arriving or bags coming into the house
- Unpacking after a trip
- Going to bed at night
Where it shows up
- Hotels, hostels and holiday lets
- Trains, buses, the Tube and the subway
- Cinemas and theatres
- Flights and airport lounges
- Charity shops and second-hand furniture
- Student halls and shared housing
- Your own bed at home
Symptoms
In your body
- Skin crawling or itching
- Racing heart when you think about them
- Trouble getting to sleep
- Feeling hot, tense or restless in bed
- A churning stomach
In your mind
- What if they are here?
- Picturing bugs in the sheets or your bags
- Feeling dirty or invaded
- Replaying every itch through the night
- Worrying you will bring them home
What you might do
- Checking mattresses and seams again and again
- Washing, bagging or throwing things away
- Searching online for pictures of bites
- Avoiding hotels, trips or second-hand items
- Keeping bags in the bath or outside the house
What causes it
Having bed bugs once, or knowing someone who did, can be enough to start it. For other people it begins with news stories, a viral video or an unexplained itch. It often sits alongside a fear of insects, germs or contamination. Once the fear is there, checking and avoiding bring quick relief, which teaches your mind that the danger was real and that checking kept you safe, so you check more and the fear grows.
How it can affect your life
A fear of bed bugs can take a lot of joy out of life. People stop travelling, turn down weddings and weekends away, spend hours checking and washing, and lie awake feeling itchy. It can put strain on partners and housemates and make your own bed feel like the least restful place in the house.
Things that can help day to day
- Do one sensible check when you arrive somewhere new, then let it go rather than checking again
- Notice the urge to check or search online, and wait ten minutes before acting on it
- Breathe out slowly, a little longer than you breathe in, when an itch or worry starts
- Remind yourself that most itches have ordinary causes, such as dry skin or warm bedding
- If you have real signs of bed bugs, call a pest control service rather than trying to manage it alone
When to get help
It is worth getting help if checking, washing or avoiding is taking up a lot of your time, you are losing sleep, or the fear is spreading to other insects, germs or dirt. If you have repeated checking or cleaning you cannot stop, or the anxiety is affecting your daily life, your GP is a good first port of call.
If you have bites or a rash that does not settle, or you feel unwell, please see your GP or a pharmacist.
How I can help
If you’ve tried to talk yourself out of this fear and it hasn’t worked, that isn’t a lack of willpower. A phobia is an alarm your mind learned, and logic alone rarely switches it off.
When I work with a fear of bed bugs, I first find out what the fear is really about for you, whether that is the bugs themselves, feeling dirty, bringing them home or a past infestation. Using hypnotherapy and NLP over Zoom, I help your mind let go of the old alarm, so you can make one sensible check and then relax. We rehearse arriving at a hotel and getting into bed in your mind, calmly and in detail, until it feels ordinary. You get a recording of the hypnosis to listen to before you travel or go to sleep.
I’ve spent 17 years in clinical practice and helped more than 1,000 people with phobias. I hold a Postgraduate Certificate and a Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Hypnotherapy, both with Distinction.
If you’re feeling low or on edge most of the time, talking to your GP or someone you trust can help too.
Common questions
Why do I feel itchy when I think about bed bugs?
Your mind is very good at noticing what it is looking for. When you are worried about bites, ordinary sensations on your skin get noticed and turned into itches. It is common and it settles as the fear does.
Is checking for bed bugs a bad thing?
One sensible check when you arrive somewhere new is reasonable. Checking again and again tends to keep the fear going, because each check tells your mind the danger is still out there.
Is a fear of bed bugs a kind of OCD?
Not always. Many people simply have a strong fear. If you have checking or washing rituals that you cannot stop, even when you want to, it is worth talking to your GP as well.
How do sessions work?
I use hypnotherapy and NLP to change how your mind responds to this fear. Sessions are one to one over Zoom, and you get a recording of the hypnosis to listen to afterwards.
How many sessions will I need?
Many clients notice a real difference after one 90 minute session. If the fear goes back a long way, three sessions gives us room to make the change stick.
Further reading: NHS: Phobias · NHS: Bedbugs · PMC: Emotional responses to bed bug encounters
Ready to start?
A short call is the simplest next step. We’ll talk about your fear, what you’d like to feel instead, and whether I’m the right person to help.
- Take the free test at the top of this page to see how strong your fear is.
- Book a 30 minute call. Use code PHOBIA at checkout for half price: £24.50 instead of £49 ($29.50 outside the UK).
- Start your sessions over Zoom from wherever you live, or face to face in Hertfordshire.
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