What’s the difference between bad sleep and insomnia?
We’ve all lied awake at night, tossing and turning or watching the clock tick closer to morning. It’s impossible to get a perfect night’s sleep every night, and a bad night’s sleep sometimes is only human. Insomnia, on the other hand, is disordered sleep that impacts your mood and functioning. It might look like having trouble falling asleep, having trouble staying asleep, or waking up feeling really unrested. You might feel shame or isolation around your insomnia as well, worrying it makes you appear broken, dysfunctional, and that your fatigue is visible to everyone.
“How did my insomnia start?”
A number of things can contribute to insomnia, including things like age or underlying health conditions. Oftentimes though, stress and anxiety are going to be some of the primary culprits – what we often call “precipitating factors.” What may start as just a few bad sleeps can unfortunately, for some, quickly turn into a scary cycle of insomnia. The fatigue, frustration, and desperate desire to get out of this cycle tend to perpetuate the problem, making you feel alone and hopeless. Even if you don’t identify as an “anxious” person generally, the thoughts you start to have around sleep can make the mere thought of going to bed at night feel terrifying.
While insomnia is complex, it is often a signal that your nervous system is stuck in a state of alert. Sometimes this anxiety is related to external factors (i.e. work, relationships, health) and sometimes it’s specific to the sleep itself. These contributing factors are explored in a counselling session to determine the course of treatment.
How can therapy help?
Insomnia is complex, and identifying the contributing factors specific to your situation in therapy will be our starting point. We will focus on helping you feel safer in your body and your mind, so sleep can return naturally over time. Some of our work might include:
- Relaxation strategies to reduce nighttime tension
- Breaking the cycle of worry about sleep itself
- Exploring underlying anxiety or emotional patterns that keep your system on high alert
- Behavioural strategies for changing your relationship with the bedroom and nighttime
Insomnia can feel incredibly lonely, but your struggle is real and valid. It is possible to reclaim rest, calm, and a sense of safety in your nights.