[moodyboy]

I have had an irregular sleep pattern for as long as I can remember (I am 70).  I think partly because when I was a relatively young child I seemed to need less sleep than my parents thought I should have so I think (in retrospect) I developed an anxiety about not being asleep and therefore felt guilty about not being asleep.  I do have anxiety problems particularly about events that are going to happen tomorrow early in the day.  Having an appointment at 9:00 a.m. is sufficient to keep me awake. It is as though my mind says ‘the only way you can be sure to be up in time is to stay awake all night.’

One trick I use which is partially successful is to tell myself a story.  It seems to help because my mind is occupied with trying to invent the story. I often find I am getting to about the same place in the story and then I must fall asleep because I don’t  remember being awake.  I do wake several times a night because of  my ‘old man’s bladder’.  I seem to fall asleep again most of the time. Being retired has taken a lot of pressure off me although sleep on average has not changed a great deal.

[Martin Reed]

Some people are more predisposed to sleep disruption due to factors such as higher levels of anxiety or stress. When sleep becomes disrupted, our thoughts and behaviors can perpetuate the problem and lead to sleep issues sticking around long after the initial cause or trigger is no longer an issue.

Telling yourself a story is a great way to distract the mind from thoughts of worry and anxiety and can be a good relaxation technique. Thanks for sharing!

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