Overcoming insomnia requires not only changes in some key behaviors but a shift in beliefs. 💭

A key ingredient of becoming a good sleeper 😴 is believing you can be a good sleeper.

Especially if you have struggled for a long time with insomnia, you will need to let go of the bad sleeper identity. Depending on how your insomnia developed, you may want to work with a specialist to find which limiting beliefs you may hold and figure out how to move forward.

These are some common beliefs that can lead to worse sleep. Which are you ready to change?

• It’s okay to habitually ignore my body’s need for sleep: mind over matter!

• Exercise is more important to my health than sleep, so it’s better to sacrifice sleep to have time to work out.

• I need 8 hours of sleep to feel refreshed and function well during the day.

• I have no control over my ability to sleep.

• When I feel bad during the day, it is because I slept poorly the night before.

• Medication is the only solution to poor sleep.

• I cannot predict when I’ll have a good or poor night of sleep.

• Insomnia is the result of a chemical imbalance.

• I am doomed to poor sleep because of my family history.

• If I don’t get the proper amount of sleep on a given night, I need to catch up the next day either by napping or sleeping longer.

• Without enough sleep, I cannot function the next day, so I may as well skip work and cancel all appointments.

References

Morin CM; Vallières A; Ivers H. Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep (DBAS): Validation of a Brief Version (DBAS-16). SLEEP 2007;30(11):1547-1554.