If you’ve ever been stressed, then getting to sleep can be a challenge. Likewise, if you’ve struggled to get to sleep you’ll know how stressful it can be. We lay there awake for hours on end listening to the clocks ticking and our hearts thudding.
What makes the situation worse is that the less we sleep, the worse the stress is going to seem tomorrow. Ironically, we’ll experience more of the very same stress that’s keeping us awake! If you have ever looked at your alarm clock at 4am in the morning and felt like you’re the only person awake, you’ll probably know this feeling well.
So, what can you do to escape this vicious circle?
The key is to get in the right frame of mind. You can’t force yourself to relax just like you can’t force yourself to stop stressing. The entire concept of forcing yourself to relax is actually contradictory.
There are hundreds of tips on the web. But searching and testing them out when you can’t sleep will only eat into your hours of rest. And they will infuriate you further if they don’t work. Rather than count sheep, we advise that you remove the pressure of ‘having’ to fall to sleep and instead just let it happen naturally.
Just remember that when you go to bed, you’re not going to bed in order to sleep any more. Focus on how nice it is to just lie back and not need to do anything. Realise that even by doing this, you’ll still be relaxing and rejuvenating to some degree.
Recognise that simply relaxing and resting can actually be very good for you too. 
By allowing yourself to enjoy being in bed and take away the ‘need’ to fall asleep, you will almost always drift off straight away. Ironic, right?
Not only will this thought process improve your ability to get to sleep, it will also enhance your quality of sleep as you’ll be much more restful and re-energised for the days to come.
If you’re feeling sleep deprived, restless or irritable, contact us at Birmingham Counselling Services via the Contact page or on 0121 314 9903, to book an appointment with one of our friendly counsellors.
Edited by Samantha Turner.