Are you a good sleeper or a poor sleeper?
There are two kinds of people in this world. “Good” sleepers and “poor” sleepers….. and they’re usually married to each other (I kid, I kid….). But every “insomniac” I meet has a story to tell about someone they know who can sleep anytime, anywhere, under any condition. It’s mind boggling to them. It’s all they’ve ever wanted!
A “good” sleeper can break all the “10 commandments of sleep hygiene” and still make it to sleep Heaven.
- Thou shall not drink caffeine after noon
- Thou shall not drink more than 1 alcoholic beverage in the evening
- Thou shall not read in bed
- Thou shall not go to bed with the tv on
- Thou shall not be exposed to bright lights in the evening
- Thou shall not sleep in on the weekends
- Thou shall not take naps
- Thou shall not exercise right before bed
- Thou shall not sleep in a room that is too warm or too cold
- Thou shall not eat heavy meals too close to bedtime
A “poor” sleeper can adhere to all of the above and still be stuck in sleepless purgatory.
I’ve seen it time and time again. Clients sit down in a session with me and say “Kathryn, I’ve tried it all. It doesn’t work.” And I reply, “yep, sleep hygiene isn’t the problem (or the solution).” Why does this happen? What’s going on here? Why are you doing “everything right” but not sleeping? The issue of insomnia is much more complex than many people consider.
What causes Insomnia?
Insomnia is the chronic difficulty to fall or stay asleep. Insomnia is the continuing of these sleep problems, after a normal period of sleep disruption. Everyone will experience sleep disruption for one reason or another in their lives, but not everyone will go on to experience insomnia. So let’s look at two factors at play.
Factor 1: Personal Characteristics about the Sleeper
These are factors about you that are not in your control. Your personality- your genetics – your sensitivities – that all lead you to be more at risk for developing sleep problems.
- type A personality
- a “worrier”
- prone to stress
- light sleeper
- chronic pain
- depression
- hormonal fluctuations
- high need for control
- family history of insomnia
- a body that has trouble settling down (physiological hyperarousal)
- active mind/ constantly thinking (cognitive hyperarousal)
How many of the above characteristics to you have?
Factor 2: Life Events
These are also factors about your life that are not in your control.
Life events (events that happen before the onset of sleep problems) can be stressful or exciting. Think about the following:
Someone or something is waking you up: new baby, new puppy, new bed partner is snoring, environmental noise, adjustment to a new home
Physiological reasons you are waking up: onset of hormones, hot flashes, physical pain
Situations that create psychological activation: intense emotions such as excitement & anticipation (job promotion, financial windfall, upcoming wedding, new relationship, etc) as well as anger, anxiety, grief, worry, despair (job loss, upcoming job change, divorce or break-up, loss of a loved one, financial problems, health concerns etc).
Personal Characteristics + Live Events = Sleep Disruption
Think about when you first experienced sleep disruption. What was going on at the time of your life? How were you feeling? Can you identify with any of the emotional reactions?
And after you started having sleep problems, how did you respond to those sleep problems? How did you feel about them? What did you do? Did you shrug them off and say “no big deal, I’ll sure be tired tonight” and go on as usual? Or… did you start to worry? focus more on your sleep? work harder to control your sleep? What happened next?
The last piece of the insomnia puzzle are the perpetuating factors. In my next post in my series on insomnia, learn about how our natural reactions to sleep disruptions can lead us into the slippery slope of insomnia.
If you’re struggling with insomnia, check out how I can help you start sleeping better sooner!
Kathryn Tipton, MA LPC
Kathryn Tipton has passion for sleep and wants to help you return to sleeping through the night. She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), a non-pharmacological treatment to help clients gain control over their insomnia and improve the quality of their sleep. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor with a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology. Her private practice is located in central Houston, in the Montrose district. Additionally, she conducts sessions online/via phone with clients from the comfort of their own home or office.