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Many doctors say there are two main things that keep us from sleeping: pain and worry.
This is especially true for people with concussions and anxiety. It’s normal for them to have trouble sleeping.
First, I'll share some general tips, and then I'll explain the simple hack.
Quality Over Quantity: The Importance of Sleep after a concussion
What’s most important about sleep isn’t how long you sleep, but how well you sleep. It’s about quality, not quantity.
Here are some easy tips to help you sleep better. First, don’t assume you will sleep every night. It might sound strange, but if you think of each night as just a chance to sleep instead of a must, it can help take off some pressure.
Combat Performance Anxiety
Some people get anxious about sleeping:
“Will I be able to sleep tonight?”
The answer is uncertain. If you don’t sleep much one night, that’s okay.
Each night, tell yourself:
“I’m getting ready for bed, but I won’t force myself to sleep. If I sleep, great. If not, that’s okay too. I’m going through a tough time, but I will get back to sleeping normally soon.”
The Normalcy of Sleepless Nights
Everyone has sleepless nights sometimes. That’s completely normal. You may not know why you can’t sleep, but accepting it can help.
Letting Go of Sleep Pressure
It’s also important to let go of the need to sleep. If you stop worrying about it, you’ll feel less stressed. Often, feeling angry or frustrated about not sleeping is what keeps you awake.
The Role of Physical Activity in Sleep
A great way to help you sleep better after a concussion is to get some exercise outside each day. Physical activity can tire you out, making it easier to sleep. If you accept that you might not sleep, it can also help.
Avoiding Sleep Disruptors- Journaling for Sleep Relief
Try to avoid alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine in the hours before bed. If you find your mind racing with anxious thoughts and it’s hard to sleep, keep a notebook by your bed. Sit up and write down your feelings:
“I feel restless and can’t sleep. I have worries on my mind.”
Then write down your worries, like:
“Tomorrow I need to do X, and I’m worried I won’t be well-rested.”
Keep writing until it becomes boring. This can help your mind calm down and prepare for sleep. Writing is a good way to get your thoughts out so you can relax.
Understanding Worries and Sleep
One reason you might not fall asleep is that your mind thinks your worries are very important and needs to think about them all night.
The more you stress over your worries, the more awake your body feels, making it harder to sleep. Writing your worries down tells your mind:
“I know these are important. I’ve written them down, and I won’t forget. I can think about them tomorrow. But right now, I want to sleep.”
Your mind is like a child that just needs to feel safe and know that everything will be okay. Once it feels reassured, you may find that many of your worries aren’t as big as they seem. A lot of our worries come from an overactive imagination.
A simple Hack for Restless Nights - try to stay awake
Dr. Dennis Gersten from San Diego suggests a helpful exercise for those restless nights:
While lying in bed, think of a time when you had to stay awake, like studying for an important exam or taking care of a baby all night.
Remember how tired you felt and how hard it was to keep your eyes open. Think about how heavy your eyelids felt and how much you wanted to sleep but had to stay awake. Relive that feeling.
Now think about how good it feels to be in bed right now without needing to stay awake. Remember how much you wanted this moment where you can sleep peacefully.
So try to stay awake (not with coffee! ;)) just using your thoughts while you lie in bed with the lights off. Pretend you have to stay awake, for example, because your friend is coming by to pick something up, or you need to wait for your kid to get home, or something else. ;)
This exercise can help you relax and prepare for a better night’s sleep.
Free Masterclass: 2 researched methods to reduce concussion symptoms
In my free masterclass, which I’m hosting regularly, I’ll share the 2 researched methods that helped me the most in my recovery (and now also for thousands of others).
I love hosting this masterclass and engaging with all of you, but it takes a lot of effort to organize. That's why it's only available for a limited time. Make sure to sign up and join before it's too late!
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