Sleep, or rather sleep problems, are what we are most familiar with but it is fascinating to learn about the history of sleep and segmented sleep. As we ALL should know by now, sleep is the basis for all mental health and well-functioning. Some suffer from an inability to fall asleep due to a racing mind but may not have any issues with staying asleep. Others have problems both falling asleep and staying asleep long enough for the body to benefit the most.
If your sleep is difficult to enter, I suggest some elementary things to try. Consider looking at your diet, specifically your carbohydrate intake. Modify how many carbs you ingest and see if that makes a difference. Similarly with sugars of all types, cut back or cut them out and see if that helps. It could make a huge difference in your racing thoughts, your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep!
Structure and routine, as mentioned in the article, are also crucial to stick with, as much as possible. It really does help for your body to expect a routine and to stay with that over time. Sleep may be more comfortable and safe now than in the long past but still represents a challenge for many.
Sleep is the foundation of health, well-being and well-functioning. This is especially true for HSPs.
Dr. Tracy Cooper 