Understanding How Your Nervous System Affects Your Sleep: A Key to Tackling Insomnia
Sleeping well depends on your nervous system downregulating at night. This communication network must shift from the active part (the sympathetic nervous system), the “fight or flight” system, to the calmer and more restorative part (the parasympathetic nervous system), the “rest and digest” system.
In the evening, as the parasympathetic nervous system takes over, a few things happen: our muscles relax, the heart rate lowers, cortisol levels drop, and melatonin is released, paving the way for a peaceful night’s sleep.
Why can’t I sleep at night?
When our sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) is too active, we feel awake, have difficulty falling asleep, or find ourselves awake in the middle of the night.
Your nervous system is designed to keep you awake for survival. It constantly scans for threats, external or internal.
In ancient times, this watchful part of our nervous system was essential to survive against wild animals, predators, or threats. If we had to run (or fight), we would be ready. In this day and age, these exact survival mechanisms don’t allow us to fall asleep easily at night in the modern world.
When we are in a “fight or flight” mode (whether it is from ruminating thoughts, low sex hormones, or a gut infection), sleep feels unsafe to our body because our nervous system sees relaxation as vulnerability. Being vulnerable is unsafe and not conducive to our survival.
Our modern world’s most common triggers that push us into a stressed or sympathetic mode are worrying, ruminating, stressing, and feeling anxious.
The Impact of Anxiety and Worry on Your Sleep: Understanding the Common Culprits of Sleepless Nights
Anxiety and worry are common contributors to insomnia. Regardless of the root cause, most people experience a sense of angst when trying to fall asleep.
Unfortunately, it’s so easy for anxiety to spiral when dealing with insomnia because our brains tend to act like Teflon for positive experiences and Velcro for less pleasant experiences.
When I first read about this analogy, I was stunned; why would we be so biased towards remembering the negative? Simply put, for the survival of our species. If you run into a bush of poison ivy, you better remember it well so it doesn’t happen again.
When you have just one restless night, your brain tends to latch onto that negative experience, associating it with stress and unease. This perpetuates a cycle where your worries about not sleeping can make it harder to relax and drift off. It’s a frustrating reality, but the good news is that you can work to reverse this tendency.
How to decrease anxiety and worry and sleep better
Here are some strategies you can use to decrease your anxiety and worry so you can sleep well:
A daily and nightly routine tells your nervous system that it is safe to fall asleep. Read 9 Tips For Sleep Hygiene That Actually Work for in-depth, valuable information.
Start a daily meditation routine to gradually quiet the mental chatter and activate the parasympathetic nervous system. Read How To Fall Asleep Fast with Guided Meditations for more information, apps you can use, and a list of my favorite meditations.
Drink a cup of herbal tea 30 minutes to an hour before bedtime, such as Yogi Brand Soothing Caramel Nighttime Tea. This tea contains soothing herbs such as Chamomile and California poppy, along with L-theanine, an amino acid that is helpful for anxiety and sleep.
Try a CBN (cannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol) tincture. CBN has sleep-promoting properties as it influences the CB1 receptors in the brain involved in sleep regulation. CBD is known to reduce anxiety and stress. These two combined make a powerful combo, and unlike THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), they have no psychoactive effects.
What else can I do to reduce my anxiety and sleep well again?
If the above strategies are not enough, I recommend investigating the root cause of your inability to sleep.
There can be various tests and strategies that we can look at depending on your particular case. However, most people benefit significantly from the two tests I run the most in my clinical practice:
Examining cortisol levels through 6 to 7 saliva samples done within 24 hrs.
Assessing neurotransmitters levels through urine testing.
Other major reasons you may have trouble sleeping well
The most common root causes why your nervous system can’t regulate and relax so you can sleep well are the following:
If you are curious how I could support you, schedule a free consult for local help in Boulder, CO, or long-distance via telehealth.
Also, check out my book, The Deep Blue Sleep—A Roadmap to Fall Asleep and Stay Asleep Naturally. This book provides a comprehensive guide to understanding the nervous system’s role in sleep, strategies for improving sleep, and tips for reducing anxiety related to insomnia.
Available in Paperback, E-book, and Audio.
If you’re ready to take control of your sleep and nervous system health, I encourage you to start with the strategies in this article and consider reaching out for further support. Remember, you don’t have to navigate this journey alone.