Starting off:
People who have been through a traumatic event often have trouble sleeping. People who have been through stress often have problems like insomnia and nightmares that can make their quality of life very bad. Understanding the link between traumatic events and sleep problems is important for coming up with effective ways to deal with these problems.
Trauma and Sleep Disturbances:
Trauma can show up in many ways, such as physical, emotional, or mental harm from upsetting events like crashes, abuse, violence, or natural disasters. One of the most profound affects of trauma is that it changes the way people sleep. Researchers have found that people who have been through a traumatic event are more likely than the general population to have trouble sleeping and dreams.
Insomnia is when you have continuous trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or getting restful sleep. Hyperarousal is when the body and mind stay on high alert because of the effects of stress that haven’t gone away. This can make it hard to sleep. Anxiety, flashbacks, and unwanted thoughts can make it hard to calm down and fall asleep. Also, hypervigilance, which is a typical sign of trauma, can make it hard for people to feel safe enough to let go and sleep soundly.
Nightmares:
Nightmares are scary, vivid dreams that make you feel strong emotions like fear, anxiety, or sadness. Trauma survivors often have nightmares about the terrible events that happened to them. These nightmares can make them feel traumatized again and keep them from sleeping well. As the mind tries to make sense of and deal with the strong feelings that come with a traumatic event, nightmares may be a way for the mind to process the trauma in the background.
Taking Care of Sleep Problems Caused by Trauma:
stress-related sleep problems are best treated in a way that takes into account both the stress itself and the sleep problems that are caused by it. Here are some ways for trauma patients to deal with insomnia and nightmares:
Trauma-Informed Therapy:
To deal with the trauma at its core, it is important to get therapy from a qualified mental health worker who specializes in trauma-informed care. Some treatments, like Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), and exposure therapy, can help people deal with traumatic events and lessen distressing symptoms like insomnia and nightmares.
Relaxation methods:
Using relaxation methods can help you sleep better and feel less tense. Meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, guided images, and deep breathing can all help calm the nervous system and get the body ready for sleep. Adding these techniques to your bedtime routine can help your body know it’s time to unwind and relax.
Sleep hygiene: Keeping up with good sleep hygiene habits is very important for getting better sleep. This means setting a regular sleep routine, making sure your bedroom is comfortable, limiting your time spent on screens before bed, staying away from caffeine and alcohol before bed, and doing relaxing activities before bed. Sleep hygiene habits that you stick to can tell your body it’s time to relax and get ready for restorative sleep.
Medication:
Sometimes, people who have been through stress are given medicine to help them deal with insomnia or nightmares. Medication should be used carefully and only under the direction of a medical professional, though, because it may only help temporarily and can have side effects. In addition, medication may not be enough to deal with the underlying trauma; therapy and other treatments may work better together.
Supportive networks:
Having a strong group of friends, family, and peers who understand and accept your trauma-related experiences can be very helpful for your mental health. Talking to someone about your worries, fears, and dreams can help you feel less alone and speed up the healing process.
People who have been through trauma often have trouble sleeping and have dreams. This is because the effects of trauma last for a long time in the mind and body. Trauma-informed therapy, relaxation methods, good sleep hygiene, medication (if needed), and supportive networks are all things that need to be used together to treat sleep problems caused by trauma. People can improve their general health and sleep quality while healing from trauma if they deal with both the underlying trauma and the sleep problems that come with it.
