The short answer is “yes!” The longer answer is “yes, but only once you understand the underlying issue”. Let’s start by asking “what, exactly, is sleep anxiety? “
The term is slightly confusing, because the two words are contradictory. Anxiety causes us to lose sleep…so shouldn’t we be talking about “anxiety insomnia”?
Well, yes…and no. Because anxiety, as well as causing us to lose sleep, can also be the effect.
It works like this. We have a few bad nights. The evening arrives and we start asking ourselves “will I be able to get to sleep this time?” Before long this niggling worry has become a negative expectation – we’re telling ourselves “I bet I’ll struggle to drop off tonight” and “I’ve just become a bad sleeper”. We even get nervous to switch off the light... in case we can't sleep. It’s a vicious circle where anxiety disrupts our sleep, which in turn creates even more anxiety.
Now the good news! It’s possible to break the cycle and get your full nights sleep back – this negative mindset is not fixed.
You probably know someone who is annoyingly good at dropping off as soon as their head hits the pillow, then sleeping through eight hours straight without stirring. What’s their secret? It’s that they have a positive expectation – they just trust themselves to sleep well and with ease. The trick is to switch over to thinking like them.
However, we all know that changing the way we think involves a struggle – it’s called mindset for a reason! That’s why you need the right guidance and support. I’ve helped hundreds of my clients successfully complete the process and can do the same for you.
If you want help to retrain your brain, to sleep again give me a call on 07966 517708 or send an email to kirstie@kirstiesalter.co.uk
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