Exhausted, scared residents sleeping with one eye open

Exhausted Canterbury people are beginning to sleep through their fear as their region continues to be hit by heavy aftershocks following last Saturday's devastating earthquake.

Christchurch was hit by two more strong aftershocks of 4.6 and 4.5 magnitude at 7.10am today -- one at a depth of 15km 20km west of Christchurch and the other at a depth of 6km 20km southeast of Darfield.

Scores of aftershocks have been hitting the region since the 7.1 magnitude earthquake at 4.35am last Saturday, causing more damage to already fragile buildings.

Bronwyn Marriott, who runs the Healthy Kiwi Dinners company in Christchurch, said people were still petrified but some were now so exhausted they were sleeping through that intense fear.

"People are sleeping with one eye open, their nerves are shattered.

"There are lot of very terrified people.

"People are petrified and frightened to be on their own."

She said a company near her Woolston office had a sleepover last night, mainly for people who were on their own and needed company.

"It has been like a frigging big train coming into the building.'

Mrs Marriott said every aftershock put people on edge and made them very nervous.

She said last night was the first reasonable sleep many people had since Saturday.

"Every time, even if the wind blew it was like another one and you had to fly out the door again.

"People have not been able to function."

Mrs Marriott said people were so scared they were "only half functioning" because fear of another big shake was dominating their lives.

She said people were finding it helpful to talk about the trauma.

"It is important to get it out instead of living with this fear thing all the time."

She said many people just wanted to be back in their own homes, especially children.

"Kids are terrified."

Many volunteers, police firefighters, emergency workers and civil defence workers had their own worries but had put in huge hours to help others.