If you find it hard to sleep you can get into a habit of worrying that you won’t be able to sleep which makes it even harder to relax. And getting a poor night’s sleep can make it even harder to cope with the problems which may be fuelling negative thoughts.
This Vicious Cycle of poor sleep shows how this can happen.
Having negative thoughts, such as: ‘I am never going to get to sleep’, ‘How am I going to pay my bills?’ and ‘What if I lose my job?’ can affect how we feel, which might be:
- tense
- agitated
- frustrated
- panicked
These thoughts and feelings can trigger a physical response. You might experience some unpleasant physical symptoms that can include:
- a heart beating faster
- dry mouth
- muscles tensing
Our thoughts and feelings can also affect how we behave. We could become restless, or toss and turn in bed. We might turn on our TV or look at our phone. This can make us even more anxious and less likely to sleep and the cycle continues.