Think back on a time when you had a lot on your mind. Maybe things were stressful and it was tough to discern a solution. How did you sleep? Perhaps there was a night when you couldn’t sleep because of something frightening in your life or you simply watched a scary movie and ended up tossing and turning. The point is obvious. Tough times can interfere with your sleep routine and quality.

Recalling scenarios like this can help shed light on how challenging life can be for someone with complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD). Enduring complex trauma can throw off rhythms and patterns in a major way. In turn, a lack of sleep can add to the discomfort and distress

C-PTSD and Sleep

Stress is a big part of C-PTSD. It influences how your nervous system operates. As a result, complex trauma survivors often experience restless sleep, awakening many times during the night, flashbacks, and more, e.g.

  • Insomnia: An outcome of complex trauma is a fear of sleeping. You don’t feel safe thus, you struggle to fall and stay asleep. In the morning, you don’t feel rested.
  • Daytime sleepiness: If C-PTSD keeps you from a steady, restful sleep, it’s common to feel drowsy during the day. Over time, daytime sleepiness can increase anxiety and therefore, increase the likelihood that you’ll experience hyper-vigilance.
  • Hyper-vigilance: When you’ve experienced ongoing trauma — and you don’t feel safe or rested — you end up in a state of perpetual high alert. Such a state is not conducive to healthy sleep patterns.
  • Nightmares: This might be the hallmark sleep-related symptom of C-PTSD. Recurring dreams about traumatic events are a common way survivors re-experience painful events. Your mind might be trying to process and resolve the trauma but without professional guidance, nightmares can mostly lead to being re-triggered and very fatigued.

To bring things back to this post’s title: Yes, people with C-PTSD frequently need more rest for all the reasons listed above.

How Do People with C-PTSD Get More Rest?

The general answer is the blanket concept of stress management. You are in the process of healing and, as with a physical condition, you need rest. To follow are some basic and very doable ways to regularly make this happen in a healthy manner.

Exercise and Physical Activity

Being physically active typically makes it easier for anyone to sleep at night. You’re more relaxed and have utilized more energy. Not to mention, exercise causes a spike in the body’s feel-good chemicals that can help temper the symptoms of complex trauma.

Meditation

One of the most popular and effective methods of reducing stress is meditation. This practice roots us in the present moment where we can more calmly manage our emotions. Meditating close to bedtime has been found to make it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep. You may include chanting, mantras, and breathing exercises. But, whatever version you prefer, the idea is to help the mind slow down and relax.

General Self-Care

Your mind and body benefit greatly when you make a commitment to daily rituals like:

  • Smart eating and drinking choices
  • Aromatherapy
  • Mellow music
  • Powering down your devices well before you hit the sack
  • Reading before bedtime
  • Taking a bath
  • Spending quality time with loved ones

The specifics can be adjusted to fit your needs but the idea is to find gentle activities that induce a state of greater calm and relaxation.

Most Importantly, Therapy Is a Must

C-PTSD is not managed by self-help alone. An experienced trauma therapist can be the guide you need to navigate the signs and symptoms while you learn more about causes and solutions. If the quality of your sleep has lessened, we should talk soon.

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