Do you find yourself being a little more emotional than your peers? Do environmental stimuli like lights and sounds bother you a little more than you feel they should? Is your social battery drained at the end of each day? If you answered yes to these questions, then you might be a highly sensitive person.
Being able to accommodate this increased sensitivity requires a quality night’s rest, but unfortunately, sleep is often a problem of its own. Here are some common sleep challenges experienced by highly sensitive people.
Difficulty Falling Asleep at Night
Highly sensitive people are often burdened with racing and ruminating thoughts. When you have a natural tendency to feel things deeply and process emotions in a similar fashion, it can be hard to shut your brain off. Just processing your day can be a hefty challenge for your brain, making it more active.
Racing thoughts may hit you when you’re trying to settle in for the night. They may even feel more active at night, making it exceptionally hard to drift off to sleep. Similarly, experiencing repetitive thoughts about something that happened during your day or worrying about a loved one can make it hard to relax, especially in the evening.
Disruption in Sleep Patterns
If having trouble falling asleep wasn’t enough, highly sensitive people often struggle to stay asleep. You’re more easily awakened by your surrounding environment. It could be a noise, a flash of light, or maybe even a temperature fluctuation that wakes you. If you’re an active sleeper, a change in position or a slight discomfort may even wake you.
When it comes to sleep patterns, the optimal sleep schedule is one where you go to sleep at the same time each evening and wake at the same time each morning. This desired pattern can become disrupted due to the demands of your sensitivity. You may find it challenging to stick with a consistent sleep schedule or even a nighttime routine. You never know what is going to throw your system off and require a little extra TLC.
Sensitivity to Sleeping Arrangements
As a highly sensitive person, you likely have sensitivity to your physical environment. When you’re trying to nestle in and sleep, you may notice that the littlest discomforts irritate you enough to keep you awake.
If you’re having a stressful day, you may find your mattress is suddenly uncomfortable. Your bedding may feel too warm or too heavy. The ticking of the clock may sound like a jackhammer. That little indicator light on your DVR box may be disruptive to your relaxation.
Dream Intensity
During your sleep cycles, your dreams can also be a source of sleep disruption. Just as you feel things more deeply while awake, you also feel them deeper while dreaming.
Highly sensitive people often experience very vivid and life-like dreams and nightmares. This is fueled by a heightened emotional intensity. When your sleep is disrupted, your mind and body aren’t resting or recovering. It can lead to an unsettled feeling when you wake up, making mornings that much more difficult.
Morning Sensitivities
Sleep disturbances can often lead to morning struggles. Upon waking, you may have a harder time reaching that fully alert and awake state. Transitioning from sleep to a point where you can be productive may require increased time.
When that morning alarm goes off, you may be more startled than the average person. And we all know that waking up startled is one of the least fun things that can happen in the morning. The same goes for waking up to excessively bright sunshine or a noisy environment.
Rest is essential for the body to recover. If being a highly sensitive person is interfering with you getting your ZZZs, a therapist can help you develop coping strategies that will enable you to overcome sleep problems. Because being highly sensitive feels like anxiety, if you’d like to know more about therapy for anxiety click on the link.
Working with me can be a great place to start on the path to getting a better night’s rest. Contact me to schedule your first appointment.