I am personally afflicted with insomnia. This is something that has challenged me since I was a child. Now, most people associate insomnia with an inability to fall sleep, however, it also includes and inability to stay asleep, or receive quality sleep in general. It is not unusual for me to wake between four and seven times a night. Typically, my number one struggle is racing thoughts, or anxiety. I just can not shut my brain down without active intervention and literal decision making. It can be very frustrating. (Have you ever gone on a tangent in your own mind for so long you completely forgot how or why you got to that topic in the first place? Welcome to my experience on a nightly basis.) Wake cycles are also stressful for me. Each time I wake in the middle of the night invariably leads to an increase in stress and anxiety about not getting enough sleep. Seems ironic doesn't it?

Over the years I have utilized many different coping skills for this challenge. Among them is exercise, dietary changes, over the counter sleep aids, prescription sleep aids, reading, writing, warm baths, and relaxation. Also, isolating my bedroom for solely the purpose of sleep is helpful. Of these, relaxation, yoga, meditation, and sleep aids have proved most useful.

Once I understood much of my insomnia was the result of my anxiety, or complete concern with the fact that I would not sleep well, I stopped putting pressure on myself to fall asleep and instead made rest my goal. Often times I will lay down to rest and close my eyes without actually falling into any of the stages of sleep. Through this I have learned to practice meditation and eventually, I will sleep.

What do you think is preventing you from sleeping? Do you experience racing thoughts similar to mine?