Do You Experience Trouble Going To Sleep?
First, having trouble sleeping is a sign of stress. So, before take sleeping pills or sleep medication, try these holistic, lifestyle change first. Often, people who have experienced trauma, especially sexual trauma, have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. Katie Ziskind, LMFT, RYT500, at Wisdom Within Counseling in East Lyme specialized in helping survivors of trauma heal in mind, body, and spirt.
Trouble Sleeping and Anxiety
This anxiety can cause insomnia. Read more about holistic marriage and family therapy for survivors of trauma, here. By understanding the source of you insomnia, you will come out of therapy having better sleep hygiene and more restorative sleep. At Wisdom Within Counseling in Niantic, an integrative practice for marriage and family therapy, you will get to learn positive skills to promote a restful sleep. Here are a few below!
Once you’re laying down in bed, don’t look at your phone.
First, the light of your phone or laptop will stimulate your brain to think it’s morning. Looking at your email for work will spike your cortisol, a stress hormone, that keeps you awake. And, cortisol, this stress hormone, also causes arousal, so you go from relaxation to full alert mode. And, anxiety increases when you look at your phone, laptop, or tablet because you brain gets “ready for the day.” Therefore, avoid looking at a illuminated screen one hour before you actually want to be asleep.
Don’t get into an argument with your partner or go to bed angry.
Secondly, arguments also make you body release cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones wake up up also. So, if you feel anxious or angry, use positive self talk to remind yourself that it will all be OK. And, remind yourself that in the morning you’ll be clear headed to decide what you need to do. No major decision needs to be made at night. Furthermore, bedtime journaling can help if you have a lot of anxiety, depression, worry, and need to let it out. Writing can be relaxing and reflective. Often, keeping a gratitude journal can be a very positive way to reflect on your day.
Use lavender essential oil for aromatherapy
Third, try to remain relaxed once you’ve laid down by listening to a guided meditation. Moreover, guided meditations can help train your mind to relax faster at night. Every time you settle your mind into you meditation, you are training yourself to visualize and manifest a positive day. Likewise, diffusing lavender essential oil into the air or even putting a dab of lavender oil on your pillow case for heavenly aromatherapy can be holistic ways to fall asleep. Read more about an anxiety-reducing aromatherapy craft with lavender that you can make at home, here.
More Information About How Wisdom Within Counseling Can Help You
