How to sleep when stressed

It can be extremely difficult to sleep when we are going through some kind of stress or trauma.

When we are highly stressed our minds tend to go into overdrive and we find ourselves stuck thinking negatively in thought loops, thinking the same things over and over. It feels like our minds are out of control and we cannot focus on anything else.

Our nervous system is overactive – which means we may feel tension in our muscles, increased heart rate and palpitations, or high blood pressure to name a few.  

The good news is we can calm our nervous system and focus our mind. There are numerous techniques we can use to interrupt the racing/looping thoughts and tension/agitation we are holding in our body. We can use these techniques support us to get the sleep that we need.

Here are a few tools that work for me and for many of my clients: ✨🧘‍♀️💤💜

·         Breathwork – deep, slow belly breaths send the message to our body to relax as it activates the parasympathetic nervous system. Paying attention to the breath also causes our mind to focus on something other than the looping thoughts.

·         Shaking/movement – we hold tension in our body when we are stressed, so movements such as shaking, jumping up and down or dancing can help to release the tension we are holding in our body.

·         Humming/singing – this simple exercise stimulates our vagus nerve, a part of our nervous system that helps us to calm down (the vagus nerve runs along the throat and vocal chords).

·         Listen to a guided meditation – find a meditation that feels soothing to you and listen to it in bed.

These techniques are highly effective when practiced regularly. Try not to be disheartened if you have trouble focusing on these new techniques to begin with (anything new takes practice). However, you will find that with patience, perseverance and compassion for yourself you will receive the benefits.

Be kind to yourself and remember that we all go through stress, anxiety or trauma at some point in our lives (for some of us many times over), the important thing is to empower yourself to do something to improve your resilience and wellbeing.

Danielle x

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