The Main Cause Of Insomnia?

by: Wendy Owen
Copyright 2005 Wendy Owen

Well in my opinion the main thing that keeps us tossing and turning at night is worrying about not going to sleep.

Sure there might be other reasons for sleeplessness; chronic pain, restless legs syndrome, partner disturbance, too much coffee....

But at the end of the day you're lying there worrying about how you're going to get through the next day if you don't get to sleep *right now!*

Worry and the stress it causes, are by far the main causes of sleeplessness, and the sad part is, the more we worry, the more wide awake we feel. But what can we do about it?

We have to empty our conscious minds of worrying and stressful thoughts (yeah right! Easier said than done!)

Stress and worry can affect your sleep quite dramatically. It can be an isolated stressful incident which keeps you awake for a few nights, or the stress and worry may be chronic. Once they becomes a habit, certain situations will then always cause you to become stressed.

Worry in particular can become a habit and like any habit, is very difficult to break (just ask us smokers, um... ex smokers out there!) But it can be done. You have to train your mind to either let go of a thought, or replace one thought with another.

If you suffer from insomnia, whether you're having trouble going to sleep or staying asleep, stress could be the cause. Your sleeping problems can then cause more stress which in turn makes it even harder to sleep. How can you stop worrying and stop this vicious cycle?

The most important thing is to try and work out what you are telling yourself when you are worrying about something. We talk to ourselves all the time whether we are aware of it or not. What thoughts are going through your mind that are causing your bad feelings?

For example, you may be sitting in a traffic jam thinking, "I'm going to be late for work if this stupid traffic doesn't start moving soon. Then I'll be rushing around all day trying to get everything done! Which means I probably won't have time to buy a proper lunch and I'll have to grab something quick and greasy! Well there goes the diet ........"

Enough! Why torture yourself with this rubbish? Make it a habit to stop these thoughts as soon as they start. How? Just substitute them with better thoughts! Have a list of thoughts that make you feel good and think about them instead! This will reduce stress significantly and with practice, it will get easier and easier.

If you're having trouble doing this, try doing in in two steps. When you catch yourself worrying, say "STOP!" Picture a big red stop sign right in front of you. Concentrate on this until it breaks you train of worrying thoughts.

Then you can start thinking your pleasant thoughts, a movie you enjoyed, a present from your children, whatever makes you happy!

Your mind is extremely powerful - put it to work for you and not against you!

More Articles

How To Cope With Stress And Anxiety

... the state of stress and anxiety and wants to return to it once it has found the state. Unfortunately, this creates serious problems not only for the mind, but also the body. Stress and anxiety put a great many demands on the human body. It causes headaches, high blood pressure, ulcers, sleep problems, ... 

How Stressed Out Are YOU?

... that way! It s indeed a vicious cycle of thinking that is common to all of us. Fortunately, once you know how, you can think your way out of these situations as quickly as you got in. So where do you start? First, flag such have-to, must, need-to statements in your head. Then replace the needs, musts ... 

How To Cut Down On College Stress

... For those who need more regular relief from college stress, there are other options to the usual cure of barley and hops. In fact, colleges are a wealth of opportunities to learn new stress-reduction methods. For instance, there are yoga clubs, meditation classes, and even courses in tai chi that can ... 

Stress Guilty As Charged

... Clinical Psychology 45: 957974, 1989.) The bottom line is that stress is a killer, and that meditation really can help you defend yourself. Traditional meditation may have the most beneficial effects, but maybe you're short on time, or uncertain about learning to meditate. In that case, there are two ... 

How To Get Ripped Abs?

... fantasizes and worries about the past. Nobody lives in the present moment living every moment and enjoying it as it is! This constant oscillation of the mind from past to present and present to past like a pendulum takes a heavy toll of your mind and body.Stress builds up and ageing becomes accelerated.The ... 

Coping With Chronic Stress

... was working at such an intense rate. Thus, once the brain is tuned for stress, it immediately goes back to it like a junkie returning to a dealer. The problem, of course, is how to get the brain to get less accustomed to stress. Unfortunately, this is not easy, since the brain's chemistry is now attuned ... 

Stress Elimination

... part of your stress elimination strategy should include some vacations. By getting away for a week or so every year, you can alleviate stress and prevent it from appearing very often. The simple act of being someplace else where you don't have to worry about anything other than relaxing will help you ... 

Stress The Unseen Killer

... period of time instead of on a daily or weekly basis)? Can you shorten your exposure to stress (take a break, leave the physical premises)? Can you devote the time and energy necessary to making a change (goal setting, time management techniques, and delayed gratification strategies may be helpful here)? ... 

6 Steps To Relieve Stress

... improve yourself, your business and your spirit. Work on your ambitions. Find methods to enhance your routine activities. At the end of the day understand that you have done all you can to maintain a healthy lookout on life. Now you can relax and enjoy the remainder of the evening either by yourself or ...