It's no use worrying about the big thing about sleep...
Many people may have experienced such a situation: the more they want to sleep well, the more they value the quality of sleep, the more nervous and anxious they are, and the more likely they are to suffer from insomnia. Recently, Xiaoyan, a 17-year-old student who came to the hospital for treatment, usually has excellent academic performance. When her classmates encounter difficulties, they can also solve problems calmly and have quick thinking. But before and after the exam, I feel abnormal, restless all day long, and sometimes unreasonably unhappy. Recently, I have often lost my mind in class, and what is even more uncomfortable is that when I go to bed at night, it takes a long time to fall asleep.
The relationship between sleep problems, especially insomnia, and anxiety is bidirectional. The relationship between "insomnia" and "anxiety" is like the chicken and the egg - anxiety can make people insomnia, the opposite , insomnia can also increase anxiety. This constitutes a vicious circle that intensifies. So, how do we break this cycle and get both mood and sleep back on track?
First of all, it should be clear what is making you anxious?
Many times we are intimidated and anxious by the negative voices in our minds, and we can start by identifying and challenging those negative attitudes and thoughts about sleep (insomnia). Faced with insomnia, we must first identify those negative thoughts in our minds, then try to question them and replace them with more practical thoughts.
For example, you can imagine that there are two little people in your mind, one is very anxious and complains constantly; the other is questioning him "Really? Is this necessarily true?" And propose some other possible idea. Gradually negate negative anxiety with correct answers.
Start with behavior: work on the things that are making you anxious. Some people have trouble falling asleep, not entirely because they are anxious about the insomnia itself, but anxious about other things; for example, they have an exam the next day and they are not ready, and they are going away and are always worried that they have forgotten a certain luggage...
For these real-world problems, try some ways to deal with them: Make plans for the next day before going to bed and avoid thinking about things in bed. If you're in bed and suddenly remember that you have something to remember, get up, write them down (eg write yourself a post-it note: remember to bring your keys tomorrow), then go back to bed with time to plan tomorrow. In the same way, if there is something in your heart that you can't put down, get up and write it down on paper, make a list of solutions and plans, and tell yourself, I don't have to worry about it now, I'll talk about it tomorrow.
The point here is to try to have a "just sleep" relationship with the bed, not to work, watch TV, or play on the computer. Don't try to fall asleep, it will only increase your anxiety.
However, in the face of insomnia, some patients are still very persistent. They feel that they can't sleep, but they still have to force themselves to sleep. They have to lie in bed no matter what, even if they "pretend to be asleep" with their eyes closed.
"Some people are particularly concerned about the length of sleep," said Director Du Weihao. "The more they care, the harder it is to fall asleep. Over time, sleep becomes their own burden and pressure."
According to experts, in the treatment of insomnia, there is a sleep cognitive correction treatment method, which allows patients to re-understand sleep and establish sleep reflexes. If you really can't fall asleep, you don't have to pay too much attention to sleep, let alone force yourself to fall asleep. You can try to reduce the time of sleep or brew sleep, so that the body is "thirsty" for sleep. So if you can't sleep, can you do something meaningful or interesting? no! If you can't sleep, you should leave the bed as much as possible, go to the living room or study, and do some simple things without too much concentration. This can help the nerves to relax, reduce excitement, and gradually make yourself feel tired and drowsy. do nothing, just relax
In addition, we can also master the following relaxation techniques to help sleep: Common breathing relaxation: try to focus on your own breathing, inhale, then exhale slowly, or count while breathing.
If you find it difficult to do it yourself, there are many resources such as audios on the Internet. Listening to the guidance of the audios may be helpful.
These relaxations can all be done lying down, and even if it doesn't necessarily put you to sleep, relaxation can still rejuvenate your mind and body. People who don't want to continue to "sleep a little bit late every day" can also try the following methods first:
Increase physical activity, but don't exercise vigorously right before bed. Cut back on caffeinated beverages and drink less alcohol. Go to bed at the same time as possible. Even if you didn't sleep well the night before, try to get up at the same time as possible.
At about the same time every day, start taking care not to get too excited, not to eat too much dinner, or to skip dinner altogether.
It doesn't matter if you're not that sleepy when you first go to bed, don't worry about "am I insomnia" - the more anxious you are, the less sleep you will get.
Improving your sleep is a process of changing your life and your way of thinking, and it takes patience and time. Accepting the ups and downs of your state and freeing yourself from anxiety is the first step to a good night's sleep.
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