Can you imagine not wanting to fall asleep each night? While such an idea may be hard to fathom under normal circumstances, this can be a very real situation when you’re traumatized. You even may be able to relate as you’re reading this. Unresolved past trauma can negatively impact every aspect of your life, including your sleep. As these traumatizing events from your past remain unaddressed, they can eventually lead to sleep disorders, compounding your struggles even more.
At The Guest House, we understand this unique intersection of sleep and trauma and the long-term effects it can have on your physical and emotional wellness. At the same time, we also know that real restorative rest is possible, even if you have developed a sleep disorder as a result of trauma. It may seem insurmountable in the midst of your exhaustion, but a holistic, trauma-first treatment approach can make all the difference for your sleep hygiene and long-term well-being.
Poor Sleep vs. A Sleep Disorder: What’s the Difference?
Getting the ideal amount of sleep each night (at least seven hours for adults) can be an elusive challenge for many of us. Just take a look at some of these statistics on sleep deprivation in the US:
- According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) survey from 2014 to 2022, about 40% of adults in the United States reported not getting enough sleep
- According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 1 in 3 adults don’t regularly get the recommended amount of uninterrupted sleep they need to protect their health
- About 50 to 70 million Americans have sleep disorders, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Sleep deprivation is becoming more prevalent in today’s society, whether you’ve experienced trauma or not. But why? You can blame inadequate sleep hygiene on a number of factors, some self-inflicted and some out of your control. These include:
- Sleep disorders
- Aging
- Illness
- Stress
- Changing schedules (and trying to get as much done as possible)
- A new baby in the family
SOURCE: The Johns Hopkins University
As many Americans are struggling with their sleep, what’s the difference between poor sleep and a full-blown sleep disorder? Poor sleep is a general term for lacking adequate sleep, either in duration or quality. It’s something everyone can deal with for a limited period of time in different seasons. However, sleep disorders are diagnosed, categorized conditions that cause you to consistently have trouble sleeping, so much that performing normal daily activities gets challenging as a result.
Sleep Disorders Among Traumatized Individuals
While sleep disorders can happen to anyone, they can be more common in traumatized individuals. Those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in particular can experience sleep disorders. Sleep disorders associated with trauma include:
- Nightmare Disorder: Associated with vivid and disturbing dreams, nightmare disorder causes recurring nightmares that lead to distress, poor sleep, and reduced daily functioning
- Insomnia: One of the most common sleep disorders, insomnia causes you to have difficulty falling or staying asleep
- REM Sleep Disorder (RBD): Also called REM sleep behavior disorder, RBD is associated with acting out your dreams during sleep through body movements and vocalizations
- Circadian Sleep Disorder: Affecting how well and when you sleep, circadian sleep disorder (also known as circadian rhythm disorder) disrupts your natural sleep-wake cycle
- Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD): PLMD is characterized by repeated movement of the arms and legs during sleep, such as jerking or twitching
How Trauma and Sleep are Connected
Why are trauma and sleep so intertwined? Much of this connection is associated with the nature of trauma itself. When you experience a traumatic event, your body automatically shifts into fight-or-flight mode, elevating your stress hormones as a way to survive perceived danger. “Basically, in the fight-or-flight response, the objective is to get away from the threat source. All of our muscles prepare for this escape by increasing their tension level, our heart rate and respiration increase, and our whole basic metabolic system is flooded with adrenaline,” explains renowned trauma expert Dr. Peter A. Levine.
Sometimes the effects of trauma — such as feeling unsafe or experiencing hypervigilance — may be delayed or linger long after the traumatic event subsides. This can leave you on edge and anxious, unable to relax enough to transition into sleep. Consequently, many people can struggle with sleep and trauma together.
Trauma can actually change how your body moves through sleep cycles and stages, as well as commonly generate distressing dreams and nightmares, according to SleepFoundation.org. As a result of the effects of trauma, you may fear falling asleep, not wanting to experience retraumatization in the form of nightmares. Or if trauma continues to produce heightened alertness and anxiety, you may have a hard time falling asleep in the first place. What should be a restful and rejuvenating routine becomes either a nightly ordeal or looming dread when trauma and sleep are connected.
The Different Types of Trauma and Their Impact on Sleep
Just as there are different types of traumatic experiences, there are different types of trauma as well. And each form of trauma can impact your sleep in various ways:
- PTSD: A form of ongoing trauma, PTSD is a mental health disorder that produces intrusive memories, flashbacks, severe anxiety, and other emotions related to a past traumatic event. Some common symptoms of PTSD include both nightmares and insomnia, leading many who struggle with this condition to experience sleep disorders
- Childhood Trauma: Childhood trauma and sleep issues are very much connected. This developmental trauma usually arises from adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and can persist well into your adult years. Childhood trauma from ACEs actually increases the odds of chronic short sleep duration in adulthood, even up to 50 years after the initial traumatic event, according to a study by the Sleep Research Society
- Acute Trauma: Trauma associated with one single, intense, or terrifying event is called acute trauma. As a result of acute trauma, it’s common to experience acute stress disorder (ASD) in the immediate aftermath of the event. ASD can generate poor sleep due to nightmares and bad dreams. And as ASD persists, it can eventually lead to PTSD long-term, causing further sleep challenges
Overcoming Trauma-Related Sleep Disorders
When you’re struggling with sleep disorders, especially those related to your trauma, you may feel like you’d do anything to get better sleep. After all, sleep is vital to our health. Some people may seek over-the-counter remedies like melatonin, while others may talk to their primary care provider about taking prescription sleeping pills. These medications can help in the short term, but they’re temporary fixes rather than real, long-term solutions.
Because your trauma is left untreated, your sleep issues will continue to persist once you’re off medication. That’s why it’s best to directly treat your unresolved trauma directly in order to truly overcome trauma-related sleep disorders. At The Guest House, we’ve seen this play out firsthand time and time again, which is why we address trauma and sleep issues concurrently in our holistic treatment programs.
Healing Your Trauma at The Guest House [CALLOUT/SIDE BAR]
Our co-founder and CEO Judy Crane always says, “You have to unravel the trauma story to understand the addiction story and write the recovery story,” and that’s the approach our treatment programs take here at The Guest House. As a trauma-first dual diagnosis treatment center, we’re equipped to treat mental health disorders and addiction simultaneously, but we always start by addressing your trauma.
By healing the underlying root trauma that’s driving your struggles, we can help you find stability, achieve a new sense of normalcy, and ultimately reclaim your life. Facing your trauma, addiction, or mental health disorder together is no easy task, but our expert clinical team will provide the guidance, support, and security you need to finally overcome these issues and achieve long-term recovery.
Trauma and Recovery: Sleep Hygiene Tips
Healing your trauma and sleep disorder doesn’t happen overnight. But once you’ve addressed your trauma in treatment and are navigating recovery, how can you maintain good sleep hygiene habits (practices that promote quality sleep)? There are actually a number of sleep hygiene tips you can follow on your own in your day-to-day life:
Your Sleep Hygiene Checklist
- Make your bedroom technology-free
- Avoid caffeine within six hours of your bedtime
- Go to bed and get up at the same times every day
- Establish a relaxing bedtime routine that helps you unwind
- Exercise regularly, but try to avoid it right before bedtime
- Block out distracting lights or noise
- Don’t eat heavy, spicy, or sugary foods before bed (they can be hard to digest)
- Use bedding you personally find comfortable
- Don’t nap too much during the day (one 30-minute nap is OK)
- Don’t drink alcohol before bedtime
SOURCE: American Sleep Apnea Association
Ready to Restore Your Rest and Your Life?
Seeking professional treatment for your trauma can help you regain the quality sleep you’ve been missing. More importantly, it can help you regain your quality of life, too. The Guest House in Ocala, Florida, can be that safe, caring place you need to get the comprehensive healing you deserve. To learn more about our personalized, state-of-the-art treatment programs, contact us today.