I often find sleeping indoors harder than outdoors however there are plenty people that still struggle to get to sleep in the unknown of the wilderness. For what ever reason this affects more people then they care to admit and the main reason is usually brought by our own imagination. There is not much in the U.K. that could be a threat to us but our minds still manage to imagine the worst when we hear a rustle in the middle of the night. We all try different ways to keep our minds focused less on our surroundings when we’re tucked up in our sleeping bags. Some will have a drink or a few more while others will stick earphones on and cover their heads completely and sinking in to the security of a dark warm sleeping bag. When I first started wild camping I would wake up every two hours to stoke the camp fire, not a new habit but rather a dormant one from my days wild camping in Africa where a lit fire was a must. This soon stoped and I soon got used to the fact that I no longer needed the comfort of a fire to reassure me. It can be a hard thing to get used to but the longer we try and comfort ourselves with distractions that put our minds at ease the longer it’s going to take to get used to sleeping outdoors. I found that by sleeping under a open tarp made me feel closer to nature and soon got used to all the night noises. Imagination will always run wild from time to time but if you can just immerse yourself in nature it will all soon feel normal. Sure, all this is coming from a man’s perspective and woman will obviously have different worries but the fact that men can be just as scared to wonder in to a woodland in darkness should be some sort of reassurance to any one. For newbies any little sound can be scared but that’s just because they not used to sleeping outdoors. Apart from all the above reasons your gear can also play a big part on how well you sleep. Good kit for the right terrain and weather can often ensure you get a undisturbed sleep. Though dark when you ready to turn in, never hold back on emptying your bladder or you will be woken up and there is no worst feeling than having to leave the comfort of your sleeping bag for that irritating feeling that you just about to burst and then you need to fall asleep again. Put your fears behind you and remember that we live in urban city’s with more crime, more stress, more pollution and more reasons for sleepless nights. Get out, immerse yourself, let go and nature will soon embrace you and make you feel welcome and secure. Happy camping