Having trouble sleeping? How understanding this condition can help you now!
If you're having trouble sleeping, you know that it can be more than just a mere annoyance or inconvenience. Without a good night's rest, you just aren't equipped to go through the next day's activities with full functionality. You may be irritable, nervous, find it difficult to concentrate and be fully productive. While your body is tired, your mind isn't operating in optimum mode, but still buzzes along contemplating negative factors in your life, such as finances and other problems which you're unable to address immediately. So that's the summary of the consequences of having trouble sleeping. Here, we take a look at how understanding this syndrome can help you get a handle on just why you can't fall asleep as easily or at all as you'd like.
Barring a quite rare medical condition which causes a person to never be able to sleep (known as Fatal Familial Insomnia, or FFI), most people who are having trouble sleeping are experiencing a psychologically-based problem. Now, this doesn't necessarily mean you need a psychologist to combat and correct your problems sleeping. Here's why.
Let's take an extreme, albeit common example, that of combat war veterans. When young men and women go off to war, they are ill-prepared to psychologically deal with events that civilians in a country at peace normally experience in their day-to-day lives. The specter of death, implements of destruction (e.g. roadside bombs, chemical agents and the inherent moral conflicts are obviously problematic to resolution on a short or long term basis. It's too much for the mind to handle. These combat veterans become overloaded, psychologically. One of the many and predictable results are that these individuals are having trouble sleeping long before they arrive home. Why? You can see that it's almost inevitable that the mind in conflict has much to resolve and no viable road map to a solution. So, how does this example relate to you?
If you're just an ordinary person, facing the problems life dishes out indiscriminately can be just as problematic. However, you've got an edge up on our extreme example. When you don't have the means to meet your financial obligations, through loss of work, medical crises or whatever, your 'fight or flight' response is set in motion. Your adrenalin starts to rush and you simply can't quiet your mind. These are genuine worries you're dealing with, ones for which a real solution is not at hand. The workings of the mind are truly mysterious. You may not be able to quell those conflicts on a subconscious level, and hence experience this syndrome of having trouble sleeping.
Here's how to effectively combat this 'catch-22': you know that it's the day-to-day worries and conflicts that prevent that good night's sleep. One very useful tool you should add to your arsenal is a personal journal, recording the events of any given day. Seemingly insignificant events can pile up, unbeknownst on a conscious level. Keep a notebook which details each day's interactions, personal thoughts and reactions. You'll find that a pattern begins to emerge. Certain events, people or interactions, always seem to 'get your goat'. With no reasonable outlet, your mind stores away all of your resentment, suppression and frustrations. Your mind is clever, and whether you realize it or not, these emotions start to pile up.
Keeping a log is empowering. If you're having trouble sleeping, consider these factors. When you realize that your subconscious mind id attempting to head you off at the pass, you're halfway to a solution. Make a conscious effort to clear your mind of those impossible-to-resolve-immediately worries. Let tomorrow take care of itself. Accept that you can't deal with the whole plate of worries in a day. Give yourself a break. Make note of the issues which confront you, and distinguish between those you can change, those you cannot and arm yourself with the wisdom to know the difference.
You may well be surprised to find that your log of events will reveal the reasons you're having trouble sleeping. Take these steps before reaching for a sleeping pill! Good luck!