Insomnia sounds like a small problem compared to flashbacks and dissociation. But the pain is real. The whole being is effected, body, emotions, mind. Insomnia is a symptom that in itself increases other symptoms. Your risk to have a flashback or dissociate is higher, when you are tired. It can have an influence on your social life and your ability to work and function.
Sleep hygiene can increase your chance of good sleep. I will give you instructions on how it is done and how you might modify in certain areas, that are often difficult to do with trauma.
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- Chose a time to go to bed and a time to get up and stick to it.
Your body will get used to the rhythm. Combined with fixed times for meals this routine will help your body come in line with the clock. This is hard, but use the same times during the weekend as well. - Don’t take naps. The only exception are power-naps of 20 minutes, if you take them before 3pm.
- Do not lay in bed (while awake) for long periods. Don’t get used to that. It’s better to get up and do something boring for a while, then try again. Don’t turn on the TV or check your messages. Don’t turn on bright lights.You could sit down in a cozy chair with a blanket and journal for a while.
- Don’t drink alcohol at night.
It might seem to help you fall asleep, but it reduces the quality of your sleep a lot. - Don’t smoke in the evening or even during the night. (That is what science says. If you feel super stressed and restless a cigarette can sometimes be helpful.)
- Don’t drink caffeine 8 hours before going to bed.
That includes coffee, black and green tea and coke. - If you take vitamin supplements (like Bs) make sure to take them in the morning. The can have a stimulating effect.
- Avoid big meals and drinking a lot before going to bed. That will make your body feel uncomfortable and cause you to wake up.
- Don’t do any heavy workouts in the late evening. Otherwise your body will still be ready for more action instead of sleep.
Create a good sleeping environment. The room should be cool, 57-65°F and have enough oxygen.
- Chose a time to go to bed and a time to get up and stick to it.
Ideally the room would be dark. That can be a major issue with PTSD. Modify while avoiding bright lights. There are different options of nightlights you could use. Do not use your TV as a source of light. The changing pictures don’t give a steady light and you never know what scenes you might wake up to during the night.
The rooms should also be quiet. If you can’t stand silence, use white noise in the background (YouTube). Don’t use your TV for background noises, again: you never know to what kind of triggering scenes you might wake up to and there are sudden loud noises in movies that could wake you up or otherwise reduce the quality of your sleep.
It helps to remove things that stimulate your senses from your bedroom.
If possible, use your bedroom for sleeping only. We live in a small studio and use a curtain to divide the sleeping area from the office area. That way we can’t see the desk and be reminded of possible work that we have to do.
- Reserve time to winding down at the evening. Going straight from busy to bed doesn’t work. Do some calming activities that help you relax. No more action. Avoid big emotions during that time. If you need to solve a conflict with your partner, do it the next day. Avoid exciting movies or books. Avoid big thoughts during that time. Do your planning for the next day right after your work. Don’t try to learn anything or solve big problems. If they do bother you, use the safe/vault exercise and contain them for the night.Use relaxation techniques. That could be progressive muscle relaxation, autogenic training, meditation, breathing exercises or yoga. Those can help signal your mind and body that it is time for sleep. Some like to go for a short walk. Some like a hot bath. Essential oils could support your relaxation too.
- Make sure you feel safe. It’s impossible to relax without a sense of safety. Keep a weapon nearby if that is what is needed.
- Establish an evening ritual. That is a chain of small actions you do every night. That could include checking your door lock, bathroom time, a small cup of herbal tea, whatever you like. It shouldn’t be longer than 30 minutes though.
- Don’t eat during the night. Don’t teach your body to wake up for food. It will.
- Use your bed only for sleeping (and sex if you are into that). Don’t use it for reading, homework, journaling, eating, watching TV and all those other things we tend to do in bed.
- Don’t look at the clock. That will just stress you out. Knowing how many hours are left won’t make you sleep faster.
- Dim the lights when it gets dark, bathe in light in the morning. Letting sunlight in will help your body to wake up.
- Avoid looking into screens an hour before going to bed. Focus on your calming activities instead. Social media can wait.
- Wear comfortable clothes. Notice if you need something flexible that it close to the skin to help you feel your physical boundaries and help with grounding, or if you maybe need very loose clothes for free movement. If you need long-sleeved clothes make sure you find a light fabric for summer nights.
- Invest in a good mattress and pillow. You are worth it. Those can make a big difference.
With some patience you can train yourself to sleep. Don’t put any pressure on yourself about this. If you find that something is not possible, try to modify. A lot of the best solutions for trauma topics come from a small modification to adapt them to individual needs.
Don’t give up, be creative. Stay active. If you stop trying there is room for feelings of powerlessness and despair. Sometimes even trying something that you know doesn’t help is better than doing nothing and feeling helpless.
You might also be interested in:
negotiating sleep (SystemWork)
Aromatherapy part 1 (essential oils for anxiety and insomnia)
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