Insomnia and mental health
Chronic insomnia feels absolutely crippling. I’ve been there for various reasons and seasons over the course of my life and I understand how trapped it can make you feel. I’ve found that when exacerbated by stress, insomnia can snowball and get worse and worse.
As someone involved in various helping professions, I’ve come to learn a lot about insomnia and various causes and solutions.
Mental stress: Racing thoughts are often an obvious precursor to insomnia. Some people (my husband included) can sleep even during times of extreme mental stress (I envy that skill!) but others tend to get stuck in repetitive or intrusive thoughts. Preventative measures such as counseling, meditation and moving your body are most helpful for this type of sleeplessness, but if you find yourself unable to fall asleep from racing thoughts, it can be helpful to just get up, journal, pray or read.
Sleep anxiety: After a few nights of being restless or unable to sleep, a natural progression is anxiety ABOUT not being able to sleep. The negative thought loops only make things worse and it can be hard to snap out of a pattern of anxiety. As much as your able, stay positive and take lots of preventative measures before bedtime to purge anxiety and calm your body. Also, it’s helpful to acknowledge that intentional rest is still helpful for your body. So even if you don’t sleep at all, try to accept that laying down and just allowing yourself to rest as best as you can is sometimes all you can do.
Nervous system: As a new mom, in the thick of the three-month sleep regression, my baby was waking up every 45 minutes or less. During the day was no better. I could barely function and was actually hallucinating. The worst part was that my nervous system was SO fried from all the screaming that even when I did have help/the opportunity to sleep, I couldn’t. It went on for quite a while even after the baby’s sleep issues were resolved. One thing that was extremely helpful during this time was acupuncture and chiropractic care. Anything you can do to support your nervous system (nutrition, rest, a hot Epsom salt bath, sauna, calming music…etc) will help eventually.
Gut health: Thanks to the gut–brain connection, sometimes what’s actually keeping you up or even causing racing thoughts is actually your gut. Consider intermittent fasting to make sure you’re at least allowing your digestion calm down prior to sleep. Avoid sugar (especially from processed foods) during the day.
Moon phase: Bear with me! I almost always have at least one night of insomnia somewhere within a day or two of the full moon and I do NOT track it. I’ve been aware of this pattern for many years, and my old acupuncturist explained it like this: think about how the moon pulls and controls the tides of the ocean. It’s the same within your body– the moon pulls and effects your blood. During the full moon, this effect is heightened and more blood is pulled up towards your brain, keeping you awake!
With so many different things that can create or aggravate insomnia, be sure that you are at least taking care of your mental health during the day. Not having a good bedtime routine or transition from your day will continue to effect your quality of sleep. And one HUGE tip that so many people forget about it to avoid screens! At least one hour before bed and for goodness sake ESPECIALLY during insomnia. Not only is blue light damaging and overstimulating to your brain, but it’s also very likely that whatever you’re watching is not going to actually help you sleep. Hang in there and be sure to reach out for support when you need it.
