The Mental Emotional Health Blog

Most people hate insomnia. The feeling of not being able to fall asleep despite being tired, the thoughts that race from one subject to another, the difficulty concentrating, and all the reasons you think of for needing rest can all add up to exhaust you. Of course, being exhausted doesn’t always help you get to sleep either.

So instead of fighting insomnia, switch your focus to getting rest, regardless of whether you sleep or not. Anxiety is tough to deal with, and is one of the main factors in preventing sleep. By decreasing your own anxiety and tension, you allow your body and mind to rest. Don’t get me wrong, sleep is an ideal way for the human body to recharge and reset itself. But if you can’t sleep, at least focus on relaxation.  If you happen to fall asleep while relaxing, enjoy it. Either way, you’re getting some rest.

For a few ideas on how to do decrease anxiety, check out my previous post: Decreasing Anxiety .

There is so much value in getting regular, restful sleep. Sleep feels good. It’s healthy and necessary.  Just because we promote healthy sleep habits for children doesn’t mean we should neglect it ourselves. If you’re having trouble sleeping, ask for advice. Then try things out until you create a comfortable sleeping environment, and protect that sacred sleep time as well as you can.

I’ll work on a follow-up to this at some point that deals specifically with insomnia. I’m off to bed now.