One of the most common complaints people have when they can\u2019t sleep is they feel they can\u2019t switch off their minds. The more time we spend in bed thinking\/ruminating the more we connect our beds to these feelings rather than feeling sleepy and relaxed and the worse our insomnia becomes.<\/p>\n
Categorising Your Thoughts\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n While a small amount of late night contemplation can be useful, when we are tired our emotions can get the better of us and can affect our thoughts and behaviours. This can lead to us following a train of thought through to an often-disastrous conclusion. Before you know it, you are lying in bed at night, wide awake worrying about something that almost certainly isn\u2019t likely to happen, so it\u2019s important that we address unhelpful thoughts, before they become catastrophic.<\/p>\n Worry Time\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n You will find it useful to start writing out your thoughts. This provides clarity and has the affect of rationalising your thoughts, giving them greater clarity. Start by allocating a short period of time each day to write down what you are worried about. Spend no longer than 20 minutes writing down everything that comes to mind. These can then be separated out into categories of \u2018real problems\u2019 and \u2018hypothetical problems\u2019.<\/p>\n For example, a real problem would be \u2018I have lost my job and need to find a new one\u2019, whereas a hypothetical worry is \u2018what if I lose my job and have to find a new one?\u2019. In terms of sleep, a real problem would be: \u2018Right now, in this moment, I cannot get to sleep and I feel anxious\u2019 whereas the hypothetical equivalent would be: \u2018what if I can\u2019t sleep tonight?\u2019<\/p>\n Once you have completed this exercise you can start to see how many of your worries have actually happened and how many you are just\u00a0predicting\u00a0<\/em>may happen. For the real problems, make plans and try to fix them; for the hypothetical, just learn to acknowledge them, write them down and let them go.\u00a0Worrying about what might happen is like paying the same debt twice, if it happens you will deal with it then.<\/p>\n Identifying Unhelpful Thoughts\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n A little bit of anxiety is perfectly normal. It is a natural response to a threat and a reflex that has kept the human species going for a long time. The issue comes when anxiety arises over trivial or unlikely events. For instance, if you smell burning, it is natural (and helpful) that your body and mind will alert you to the danger and prepare itself to take action. If, however, you can\u2019t drop off to sleep one night, your body doesn\u2019t need to respond with the same fight or flight instinct.<\/p>\n Luckily, there are physical symptoms surrounding anxiety that help us to identify when we\u2019re having an unhelpful thought. The simplest way to identify an unhelpful thought is to ask yourself how you are feeling right now. Are you experiencing any of the physical symptoms, such as muscle tension or a churning stomach? If so, your current train of thought is not conducive to a good night\u2019s sleep.<\/p>\n Overcoming Unhelpful Thoughts\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve identified that your current thoughts are unhelpful, the challenge is to switch them off, which is easier said than done. They key is to rationalise our thoughts as much as possible. Try to identify the source for your concern. For instance:<\/p>\n Now look at the situation honestly and realistically and ask yourself:<\/p>\n What is the evidence for my prediction?\u00a0<\/strong>When you sleep badly are you always tired and irritable? What really makes you unhappy, the tiredness or the feelings about being tired?\u00a0It is our feelings about being tired which make us stressed, unhappy and irritable more so than the actual tiredness.<\/p>\n What is the evidence against my prediction?\u00a0<\/strong>Have you slept badly before and still managed to enjoy yourself?\u00a0Have you ever slept well and still felt rubbish? Don\u2019t put too much emphasis on sleep being the cure to all your problems.<\/p>\n\n