Can’t sleep? Quit trying !

There have been so many questions about insomnia, and insomnia is such a huge topic (the most common sleep disorder), that today we will consider one little aspect of primary insomnia. Primary insomnia is insomnia not caused by a medical, sleep, or psychiatric disorder. 

To understand in more detail the symptom of insomnia, the many possible causes of insomnia, the association of insomnia with medical conditions, sleep disorders, mental health conditions, medications, and other factors, visit http://tinyurl.com/mds9p6.   

Many people with insomnia develop a vicious cycle of trying to sleep, becoming frustrated or anxious about not sleeping, trying harder to sleep, getting more frustrated, etc.  This cycle is so common that it occurs in almost all persons with insomnia to some extent, but in some, it is the major factor that causes the insomnia to continue for months and years.   

The act of falling asleep cannot be forced.  It is a passive--not an active—event.  It occurs if the “stage is set,” which means that the body/brain is sleepy, the time of night is right, and the environment is right.  Falling asleep is partly natural but also partly learned, and the brain needs the proper connection (or training) in the person’s past experience between trying to fall asleep and actually falling asleep. 

This means that when a person has bad experiences in bed trying to sleep the brain learns this, and the next time the person is in bed, the same thing will tend to happen.  The anxiety becomes associated with trying to sleep, and the cycle continues.  Imagine if someone was abused or tortured in bed; even years later after being otherwise better, it would be impossible to relax and fall asleep in that same bed.  It is extremely important to avoid frustration, anxiety, negative thinking, rumination, and other strong emotions when trying to fall asleep.   

Which brings me to the title of this blog.  Yes, if you can’t fall asleep, you should quit trying.  That doesn’t mean giving up seeking the help and answers you need—in fact just about everyone with insomnia can be helped with a combination of therapies. 

BUT, it means that at the time, stop trying to sleep, relax, maybe get up and have a tea, stay calm, accept the situation, maybe meditate or pray, and later go back to bed and see if sleep comes.  This might or might not help sleep during that night, but it should help your attitude, and it helps prevent the insomnia-frustration cycle from worsening with time.   

Has anyone found that it helps to fall asleep by not trying to fall asleep?  We’ll continue discussing any and all sleep disorders in upcoming blogs.

-- Cure Your Insomnia and Sleep Tonight! --