There are practical steps you can take to help prevent or cope with sleep loss in situations that are out of your control.
This can become a vicious cycle.” Preparing for Disruptions “And guess what definitely does not help improve your sleep? Worry. “In other words, you worry about it more,” says Chisholm. You’re also more likely to dwell on the sleep you’re losing, which can trigger a negative feedback loop. “You’re likely to have an even harder time recovering from additional sleep disruptions because you were already struggling to operate on less than a full tank.” “You don’t have the same sleep reserves built up,” says Tracy Chisholm, PsyD, a behavioral sleep medicine psychologist at the Portland VA Medical Center. But when you have chronic insomnia, you’re already behind the curve. Interruptions to sleep schedules can be hard on anyone. Travel, a newborn baby, shift work, and other disruptions can get in the way of your insomnia-busting habits. But sometimes, life can thwart the best-laid sleep plans.
If you have chronic insomnia, you’ve likely been working with your doctor or a sleep specialist on ways to get more quality sleep.
