This blog post will be about sleep issues and what has helped me to sleep better. I know it well when you can’t fall asleep, you are anxious and worried about how bad will be the day ahead, you won’t be able to think clearly and you have low energy levels. In the past, I used to even take some pharmaceutical sleeping pills in moments of desperation. Now it is not an option for me anymore and I decided to share my ways as I navigated my way through sleepless nights. I struggled with insomnia and it got much better, even though I still might experience some sleepless nights.
2 Main Reasons Why You Can’t Sleep
1. Nervous System Dysregulation
Falling asleep and having a good night’s sleep is connected with an inability to switch off my head (endless thoughts, problem-solving, to-do lists, creative ideas, and deadlines).
2. Problem-Solving at Night
The second reason would usually be trying to resolve challenging problems with heavy emotions that didn’t get processed during waking hours (arguments, unfinished conversations, but also creative projects, ideas pouring in etc.)
2 Simple Things that Helped me Sleep Much Better?
1. Emotional Healing Work (short-term as well as long-term solution)
To process the stuck emotions of that day, what keeps me up at night? What conflicts haven’t been resolved? How did your parents handle stress? How did your grandparents handle stress? What am I afraid of? What lingering long-term stress is there? (for instance unresolved financial issues). We can learn the emotional root cause from our parents or primary caretakers, but it also can be deeper and generational (dealing with the stress of our ancestors, involvement in the war, etc.)
There are several modalities that will help you get in touch with your emotions and process them. When I can’t sleep I usually tap (EFT – Emotional Freedom Technique) or do some simple form of parts work. It has to be simple in order not to engage your mind.
EFT Tapping Meditation for anxiety and sleep (tap the points while saying out loud the wording or quietly in your mind before going to bed, feel free to replace the wording with your own).
- Side of the Hand Point – What if I will not be able to fall asleep tonight?
- Eyebrow Point – Makes me feel ……. (please name the emotions you are feeling such as anger, fear….).
- Side of the Eye – I feel these emotions in my body…….(please tell me where in the body you feel these emotions?)
- Under Eye Point – I know it will not be the best day of my life if I don’t sleep.
- Under Nose – But this has happened to me before that I didn’t sleep and I managed the next day.
- Chin Point – Letting my nervous system know it can calm down.
- Collarbone Point – Letting my body know it can relax. Allowing my head to rest for the night, it has done enough.
- Under Arm – I accept the part of me that is worried, overthinking, and trying to make things perfect. It is working really hard.
- Top of Head – Allowing my body to release all stress it accumulated during the day.
- Side of the Hand Point – I am also releasing all the conflicts and disappointments of the day.
- Eyebrow Point – Reminding myself I can come back to my problems tomorrow. I will not help it by not sleeping.
- Side of the Eye – Breathing out all the stress, anger, and fear.
- Under Eye Point – Breathing out all the conflicts.
- Under Nose – Breathing out all the tensions from my body.
- Chin Point – Thanking the part of me that is working hard to resolve the problems in my life. Letting it know it doesn’t have to be perfect and it can relax now for a few hours.
- Collarbone Point – Allowing my nervous system to reset during the night.
- Under Arm – I breathe out all the troublesome emotions and I release the stress from the cells of my body.
- Top of Head – I imagine sleeping well tonight and I see myself waking up in the morning rested and ready for the day ahead.
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2. Herbal Remedies
When you decide to address stress emotionally and change your programming. It’s a good idea to support your body with some herbal remedies as well.
- Microdose Marijuana (My No.1 Short-term Solution): If you truly struggle with a lack of sleep, marijuana may be a good option to tackle your sleepless nights temporarily. Especially if you can handle the mind-altering states, you will not experience after effects like after alcohol or pharmaceutical sleeping pills. However, in my opinion, it is good to see it as a temporary option while you address the deeper issues that are causing you problems with sleep, so it doesn’t become your long-term coping mechanism. If for some reason you can’t tolerate THC, try marihuana strains high in CBD and low THC.
- Adaptogens for Stress and Hormonal Balance. They regulate the body’s stress response and you can take them during the day on a long-term basis, not as an acute solution for sleepless nights. Some Adaptogens that can help your body deal with stress: Rhodiola, Ashwagandha, Maca, Tulsi, Holy Basil, Ginseng, Chaga Mushroom, Reishi, Schisandra, Astragalus, Cordyceps, Licorice Root, Siberian Ginseng. Rotate the different adaptogens every 6- 10 weeks. Take adaptogens for the period of 3 months and check for changes in your stress responses.
- Other Herbal Supplements to Lower Stress Levels: Gaba, L-theanine, California Poppy, Kava Kava, St. John’s Worth, Valerian Root, Passion Flower, Melatonin, 5 HTP, L-Tryptophan, Magnesium (it’s good to combine more types of Magnesium Citrate, Malate, Taurate, L-threonate, Glycinate).
- Quality B-Complex: to support the nervous system.
- Essential Oils, Teas, and Candles to Calm Down your Nervous System