(Faure - "Pavane")
Since sleep is so vitally important to a person's mood and reactions, our first step is to improve the quality of your sleep. Here are some strategies to help you get a better night's sleep:
Protecting your sleeping space
Ensure that the doors and windows of your home have proper locks, and if in doubt invest in new ones. You need to feel that your sleeping space is protected as much as possible from external intruders. If your trauma has resulted from a house break-in or a sexual assault, you may need to consider moving house if you cannot feel at ease where you are living now.
If you need to sleep alone for a while (because of restlessness or crying out during sleep), or need to get up and be alone during the night, discuss this ahead of time with your partner. Explain that this will only be temporary because it is part of your recovery process and that it must not be understood as a rejection.
Coping with internal intrusions
To help with 'internal intrusions' in your sleeping environment, such as difficulty failing asleep, nightmares, waking in the night, try the following:
* Changing the position of your bed
* Rearranging the bedroom layout, using extra pillows as comforting ‘props’ to hold or bolster you in bed
* Removing wall hangings or posters that may appear scary when you are half-awake in a darkened room
* Using a night-light
* Removing any upsetting reminders (e.g. photographs of life before the trauma)
If flashbacks occur while you are in bed, imagine that you are seeing the images on a video screen. You, as the viewer, have the remote control and can freeze the images, turn off the sound and grey out or fuzz the screen. Taking care of your body
Avoid alcohol, caffeine or other stimulants before bedtime. Caffeine can be found in coffee, black tea, cocoa or cola drinks, and although you may feel that alcohol relaxes you, it actually has a detrimental effect on sleeping patterns. Do not eat highly spiced or sugary foods late in the evening. Also avoid watching violent television programs or reading disturbing books before bedtime. Establishing a night-time routine
Establish a regular nighttime routine, for example, taking a soothing beverage or a herbal tea, such as chamomile tea. Try and keep to a fairly regular bedtime. Use some easy reading material to help you wind down when you lie in bed. Tapes with relaxing music or relaxation exercises or sounds may also help you to calm down. Or visualizing a scene that has a peaceful and calming meaning for you, may also help you fall asleep.
To help you get into a positive mind-set before sleep, do a mental 'gratitude journal' (Breathnach, 1995) at the end of each day, as you are getting into bed. Identify 5 things (big or very small) that you are grateful for from the day. These could be very simple - you might be grateful that on that day you spotted the first snowdrops or you heard a very beautiful piece of music on the radio. Coping with disturbing dreams
Some people dread failing asleep because of disturbing or repetitive dreams and they don't respond well to relaxation techniques used at bedtime, as they fear ‘losing control' by letting their guard down and becoming too relaxed. If this applies to you, instead of the relaxation exercises, you might find it helpful to construct a different, more positive ending for a repetitive dream. First, think of a dream that disturbs
you and then try to think of a different ending for it. Concentrate on this by rehearsing it mentally several times before going to sleep.
Alternatively, you could prepare yourself to 'talk back' in your dreams. Imagine ahead of time what you would like to say if that dream occurs and practise it before your bedtime. Say it aloud several times and then imagine saying it to yourself quietly.
You can prepare yourself to cope with bad dreams by reorienting yourself as soon as possible upon awakening. Keep a damp flannel or towel and a bowl of cool water beside the bed for washing your face if you wake up distressed or in a sweat. Mentally rehearse waking up and getting reoriented to the present. Turn the light on, replace your digital clock with a standard analog clock, as the action of 'telling the time' will help you to shift into wakefulness.
Remember: you can exert some control over your dreams, especially with practice!
Keep a pad of paper and a pencil by your bed (or couch, if you are failing asleep there) within easy reach. If you want to record your dreams, you can do so without having to sit up and become fully awake, which often causes you to forget details. However, be cautious not to read too much into the meaning of your dreams. They may give you clues to your progress but it might not be helpful to take them too literally. If disturbing themes recur, you might wish to discuss these with a health care professional. Further strategies
1. Introduce pleasant smells, e.g. potpourri, vanilla, or other scents (but not those associated with your trauma) into your sleeping environment to create a restful atmosphere. Certain aromatherapy oils, such as lavender oil or other such preparations, may help to relax you. You might want to consult a qualified aroma therapist or you could get yourself a good self-help book on aromatherapy.
2. Physical exercise, during late afternoon or early evening, may also help to enhance sleep. Make sure you allow yourself some time after the exercise to wind down and then go to bed. Alternatively, you might try taking a warm or cool bath, possibly with relaxing bath essences or herbs, before you go to bed. Some people find a hot water bottle very soothing.
3. Remember: If you can't get yourself back to sleep within 30 minutes of going to bed, make sure to get up again and do another activity elsewhere, such as reading a magazine or watching TV. After 15 minutes, go to bed again and try to get to sleep. If you still can't fall asleep, get up again and do another activity. Repeat this process as long as necessary and only use your bed for sleeping in. Do not take a nap during the day, even if you are tired!
4. Medications for sleep may be helpful on a short-term basis, but should always be prescribed and monitored by a qualified medical practitioner. Alternatives such as herbal remedies, homeopathy, massage, aromatherapy or certain forms of relaxation or meditation may be very beneficial, too. You may also benefit if you consult a recognized and well-qualified alternative health practitioner, such as a homeopath or aroma therapist, for advice.
Record in your notebook any other strategies that you discover to be helpful.
Every person is different and it is quite likely that you will need to try out a variety of strategies and alter and change them until you have found the right one for you. It is important to persevere until you have found the most effective method.
(Faure - "Pavane")