Nightmares and Disturbed Sleep
Trauma survivors often experience nightmares or periods of disturbed sleep. Nighttime in general can be a difficult experience for trauma survivors. It’s dark outside, things slow down, other people go to bed, and it is often quieter. This is particularly difficult if you are the type of person who stays busy to quiet down the loud thoughts in your head. When we turn down the noise of life, those thoughts and feelings are still there. If your trauma happened at nighttime this can also contribute to a sense of fear around this time as well.
When we don’t get adequate sleep, tiredness can negatively affect our mental health too. We might feel more depressed, experience low motivation, and managing negative self-talk is all the more difficult when our energy levels are down.
Here are some ways to deal with nightmares and overall improve sleep:
Have a bedtime routine and rituals like putting away electronic devices, reading a book, turning down the lights, spraying lavender in your room or on your pillow, drinking herbal tea, etc. for a certain period of time before bed. Have regular times when you go to bed and when you wake up.
Invest in making sleep more comfortable in general by getting soft sheets, blankets, and a nice pillow or mattress. Maybe consider sleeping with a stuffed animal.
Use a sensory kit for self-soothing and grounding if you wake up from a nightmare. This kit should include your favorite things that stimulate each of the senses. For example, you might collect peppermint essential oil for scent, chapstick for taste, a smooth stone for touch, calming music for sound, and a photo of a beloved person or pet for sight. You may also want anchors to the present readily available in your bedroom like a clock with the date and time, recent photos of yourself, a current calendar, etc.
Sleepphones makes headband headphones specifically for going to sleep. Play soothing music, nature sounds, or guided meditations for falling (back) asleep. I have had periods of my life where I play a playlist on repeat throughout the night to help me fall asleep and self-soothe if I wake up in the middle of the night.
Place a nightlight or other lamp in the room for if you wake up from a nightmare.
Practice self-soothing and grounding activities during waking hours so that they are second nature when half-asleep at night.