Most of us notice as we have certain types of pain, that we have a hard time getting comfortable and therefore have more trouble sleeping. Logic then leads us to believe that pain is a cause of insomnia.
However, research shows the opposite is also true. Lack of consistent adequate sleep, can actually lead to increased sensitivity and more pain.
I share this information, not to put pressure on your sleeping habits. Pressure tends to make things harder, not easier. I tell you so you begin to see how interconnected everything is.
Sleep is simply a beneficial time for human beings. Each person needs a different amount of sleep. There are many tools and tips to help you sleep, but I’ve seen so many people attempt to regularly practice the best tools recommended, without any real change in their sleep pattern.
And then, they start taking the pressure off of their sleep. Meaning, they wake up in the middle of the night, and they stop freaking out about not getting enough sleep, they tend to fall asleep much more easily and feel more rested the next day.
However, what usually happens is when they wake up, they think about how important it is to fall back asleep as soon as possible, so that they are well rested for their critical meetings tomorrow, how the problem at work needs to be solved immediately, or think about all the “mistakes” they’ve made throughout their lives. Unsurprisingly, they fall asleep 30 minutes before their alarm goes off and they are utterly exhausted the following day.
The problem isn’t in waking up, it’s in how much thinking they have about the fact that they woke up and all the perceived negative implications of waking up.
Do you struggle with a racing mind that makes it hard to fall asleep, causes insomnia, or makes it hard to go back to bed in the middle of the night?
I’ve helped many people with these same issues and it’s had some really beautiful impacts on the rest of their lives and their health.