Are there times when you experience difficulty sleeping despite not having any physical pains? In the past, I also often experienced such affliction. It was very stressful for me because precious time was wasted, especially when I only had a few hours to spare for rest, given my hectic schedule.
Later on, I introspected and realized the reason behind my poor sleeping conditions. After learning those reasons, I also asked some friends and family members if they also experienced the same, and I discovered that most people have five common reasons for experiencing such distress.
- There is the guilt for inadvertently hurting another person. Guilt is something that affects me and some of the people I asked. When I close my eyes, I suddenly get reminded of an offense I did towards another person, even unintentionally. My mind gets filled with thoughts about how that person might be feeling about me after what I did or how I could make it up to them. I would then start regretting and rebuking myself for my actions.
- There is anxiety about the future or unknown danger. Most of my friends and family members talked about how their thoughts are plagued with worst-case scenarios. They suddenly think about the possibility of losing someone or something.
- There is a shame about a past mistake, may it be an action or decision. Yes. Many people are usually disturbed by shame or regret of an action or decision that caused embarrassment or disappointment.
- There is anger towards someone. Some would remember the people who caused them pain or other negative emotions when they close their eyes. When they are no longer occupied with other things, they retain their feelings and think more about them.
- There is frustration regarding an unsolved problem. Unresolved problems tend to keep people from sleeping peacefully. They tend to worry about the possibility of it worsening or not getting resolved.
Have you noticed something common about each of the above reasons? Yes, these are all caused by the people concerned – me and my guilt, other people and their anxiety, shame, anger, or frustration.
So how can lack of sleep be treated when one has these thoughts or feelings? The answer is in ourselves. We have to remind ourselves not to dwell on things out of our control. What is done is done. We cannot alter the past, nor can we do something about any problem that has not happened yet. Always be present. More importantly, we must remember that there is a time for everything.
What are your thoughts on this?
(Photo by Sofia Alejandra)
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