Why do I struggle with falling asleep when I am tired all day?
13 Answers
Last Updated: 01/26/2022 at 2:04am
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Polly Letsch, LCSW
Clinical Social Work/Therapist
I provide non-judgmental, person-centered, objective therapeutic treatment for individuals of all ages to improve social, emotional, mental and other areas of functioning.
Top Rated Answers
You may struggle if you have a lot of things on your mind. If you try to relax and clear your mind then maybe you could close your eyes and fall asleep.
Anonymous
March 10th, 2015 3:46pm
Maybe you have so many ideas that pop up in your head when you want to sleep and don't let you sleep.
Possibly because your brain is still awake and maybe because you are thinking too much about your day!
Its all to do with our minds. Its hard to relax and switch off when our minds are racing. Have a cup of tea, stick some relaxing music on and breathe.
Anonymous
June 16th, 2015 2:50pm
This can be due to a number of reasons, very commonly emotional upsets (sadness, or anxiety) but a lot of the time, it may just be due to an irregular sleep schedule. Set a specific time to go to bed, even if you don't fall asleep, and wake up at a specific time, even if you feel exhausted in the morning. If you're continuing a strict routine and it's still not working, then you may be experiencing symptoms of insomnia, in which case you can contact a doctor for help!
In my experience, tiredness is not always tired to physical exhaustion. Emotional exhaustion can also cause someone to be very tired.
You might be too deep into thought. Try to read a book or watch a movie before bed. It helps to think about what you just watched or read.
It may have to do with a worried mind. That seems to be the case when the body is physically tired but the body takes over.
Sometimes, when it comes time for sleep, our minds begin racing about thoughts and worries which prevent us from falling asleep. Ideally, practicing some relaxation techniques can help calm down the body and brain and allow for sleep. Relaxing all muscles, inhaling deep slow breaths through nostrils, holding the breath for 2 seconds and slowly exhaling through the mouth and repeating this process 2-3 times should help. Focus all your attention on the sound of your breath. As thoughts enter your mind, neither fight them nor engage them - just notice them and tell yourself "I'll get back to that thought in the morning" and let it pass like a cloud. When all else fails, and you have been wide awake in bed for over 30 min, slowly get up and walk to a couch or comfy chair and keep the lights dim and read a book until you feel drowsy and return to bed.
Anonymous
January 19th, 2016 6:41pm
Sometimes diet and exercise can play a large factor in this. Try walking in the evening after dinner time and avoid caffeine after 5pm to help the body unwind. Next, try some breathing and mediation exercises provided on 7 cups. They really work! They're simple, short and can help you to de-stress.
I usually struggle with falling asleep after being tired all day because my mind is racing, thinking, worrying or I haven't bothered to give myself a few minutes to wind down. Maybe read for a few minutes, do a word puzzle, a warm bath or a warm drink.
The time between attempting to go to sleep and actually falling asleep is probably the most significant period of time for a person to actually THINK about their lives. This can cause a great deal of anxiety and inevitably lead to a difficulty in sleeping. If you don't want to challenge your anxiety, find a distraction to help you sleep.
There are many factors of consideration if you struggle with falling asleep when you are tired all day - maybe you have an underlying medical condition that you are unaware of; maybe you have a lot of thoughts passing through your mind; maybe your eating habits or activity levels are inconsistent or maybe something else is causing difficulty for you to sleep. It is possible to have several reasons at once that are making it difficult for you to fall asleep.
Sometimes it is easier to write out different thoughts and consider each of them one at a time. This might help you narrow down the reason(s) that you are having difficulty sleeping. Once you have figured out the reason(s) then you can work step by step on addressing each concern. It could take time (days, weeks, months) to address everything to your satisfaction. There are also many different things that you could do to bring yourself to a relaxing, restful state of mind - not limited to reading a book, listening to music, a book or podcast, listening to ambient background noise and so forth. Think of something that you like and try it out for awhile.
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