If you have struggled with sleep for a while, you may notice that the anxiety begins before you even get into bed.
You start wondering:
Will I be able to sleep tonight?
What if I wake up again?
How am I going to function tomorrow?
Before you know it, bedtime itself has become stressful.
When Sleep Becomes Something You Try to Force
Sleep is supposed to be a time when the mind and body relax. But worrying about whether you will sleep can keep your nervous system activated, the exact opposite of what you want when trying to rest.
Then you get into bed and the thinking begins.
You remember something you need to do tomorrow. You replay a conversation. You think about a problem you need to solve.
One simple strategy I often suggest is writing it down.
Most of the things running through your mind at bedtime do not need to be handled at that exact moment. Putting them on paper can reassure your mind that you do not have to remember everything right now. You can come back to it tomorrow.
Practice Calming Your Nervous System During the Day
Don't wait until bedtime to start trying to relax.
Learning meditation and practicing nervous system regulation throughout the day can help your body become more familiar with returning to a calmer state.
I teach my clients Wrist Meditation, a simple technique they can practice throughout the day to interrupt stress and reconnect with a sense of calm.
The more you practice regulation when you are awake, the easier it can become to access that calmer state when it is time to rest.
Stop Fighting Being Awake
Not everyone sleeps in one uninterrupted block every night.
If you wake up and cannot fall back asleep, becoming frustrated or watching the clock can create even more anxiety.
Instead of fighting it, consider getting up and doing something quiet. Read for a while, meditate, or simply relax until you begin feeling sleepy again.
Sometimes removing the pressure to “I have to fall asleep right now” is exactly what helps the mind and body settle down.
At Inner Soundness, hypnosis, meditation, and nervous system regulation techniques can help you develop healthier patterns around stress, overthinking, and sleep.
Sometimes better sleep begins before your head ever touches the pillow.