Trauma and Insomnia
Dear clients,
Trauma refers to any negative event that causes you to become overwhelmed and unable to cope with what happened. Trauma is experienced differently by different people and it is not uncommon for Person A to be traumatized by an event that Person B deems insignificant.
Trauma affects people in different ways and one way is through sleep patterns. When a person experiences a traumatic event, their sleep will be affected in one of two ways. They may feel fatigued and sleep MORE than usual, or they may struggle with insomnia. In other words, they struggle to fall asleep or to remain asleep.
Trauma often triggers flashbacks and it is not uncommon for people to relive the event when they are lying in bed, since this is usually one of the few times when their mind and body are at a resting stage. Dwelling on trauma before falling asleep can also trigger nightmares, however, it is important to note that not all trauma nightmares are caused by dwelling on the event before bed. Trauma and insomnia often go hand-in-hand and it is completely normal to feel wide awake when you are attempting to sleep.
"So I should just make my peace with staring at the ceiling all night?"
Well, not exactly.
Sleep is the body's way of restoring itself and is extremely important during trauma processing. If you do not sleep, your body will become overly tired resulting in mental fatigue. One night of insomnia may not feel like such a big deal, however, over a prolonged period, this will affect your overall well-being.
For example, you will struggle to focus, lose concentration easily, become easily distracted, struggle to think clearly, and feel like you cannot do anything. It will also affect your health, weaken your immune system, create hormonal imbalances, make you irritated and angry, etc. These physical, mental, and emotional symptoms of insomnia will also affect your spiritual and social well-being.
On a spiritual level, insomnia may cause you to feel too tired to pray or worship, unable to fast due to fatigue, or create a general feeling of despair that can make you feel far away from God. On a social level, insomnia may cause you to snap at others (unable to contain your emotions) and may cause you to withdraw from activities. Your fatigue may result in a lack of engagement which can cause your social relationships to disintegrate.
Is this my new normal?
Fortunately, the answer is no. Although it is normal for trauma to cause insomnia or to make you sleep MORE than usual, it is not normal for this to remain that way. Should your symptoms persist for more than two weeks, seek counseling or speak to your doctor. The counselor will be able to assist with therapeutic ways to process the trauma and reduce the psychological impact of the trauma. The doctor advises on medication to help you either fall asleep or regain your normal energy levels.
It is not a shame to ask for medication. The medication does not have to be used for the rest of your life, only while you are busy dealing with the impact of the trauma or until your doctor feels that you are ready to stop the medication.
In most cases, a collaborative approach between your doctor and counselor will be the best way to help you process and navigate the trauma. ("Collaborative approach" is a fancy term to say that they are working together to help you.)
There is help available. All you need to do is ask.
Be blessed,
Madeleine