anticipation of sensory overload

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I didn't know how to title this but at night my younger sister (who's very social and often stays over at her boyfriend or friends houses or comes home at 3 in the morning). I lie in bed and my heart starts racing and I can't sleep just thinking about her coming home ................creaking our old creaky doors open and banging around and making a lot of noise. I know that the thoughts themselves are actually keeping me from sleeping and not my sister but I still can't suppress the thoughts. I do sleep with earplugs btw (sometimes) but we live in a small condo with paper thin walls so I can hear her anyways. Also I end up thinking some really mean angry thought about my sister at night as well.

The anticipation of going to a crowded place (when I know I must go to one) also sends me into a panic way before I ever actually get to the crowded place.

Does anyone else experience this kind of reaction in anticipation of sensory overload?

Yes. I often experience anxiety (sometimes panic--depending on the day) when I know I have to go to a busy store, or if I have a meeting or appointment somewhere where I know from experience it's going to be too bright, too loud and filled with people who smell like perfume. I dread the experience, and always worry that something will go wrong because my brain won't work right when I experience sensory overload (for example, I won't be able to interact, I will forget whatever I've gone out for, I will get horribly lost and be unable to get my bearings because I can't think etc).

Do you have anything that makes white noise? Like a fan or something? It might not drown out the noise, but combined with earplugs, it might help to muffle it even more.

I'm able to predict that there's going to be a lot of noise, people and strobe lights at the Halloween dance at my clubhouse ahead of time, because it's been like that, every year. That way I don't get that overload, because I know what to expect.

daydreamer: Yes, I do get that...I also can't sleep as well if my alarm is set for less than an hour from when I'm laying down to sleep, because I'm worried I'll be half asleep and the alarm will go off, and I'll have gotten no sleep

animalcrackers: +1 on the fan idea. I used to sleep with a fan on every night...then it broke...now I sleep less...I need to get a new fan today.

CockneyRebel: I guess being able to predict it helps...I've never really thought of it that way.

Oh ya I have that kind of anxiety, too. That's why I usually insist to be the last person in the house to go to bed. Even if I'm very tired. Everybody else have to go to bed before I do. And I wear ear plugs and sleep alone, of course.

Maybe you can try to talk your sister into moving in with her BF.