In order to break the negative thinking cycles that help fuel insomnia, it can be useful to challenge the recurring attitudes about sleep that you may have developed over time. Crucially, you need to recognise defeatist, unhelpful thoughts and be able to replace them with more positive, realistic ones.
Learning how to do this, and how to stop worrying more generally, takes time, patience and practice. Some find it useful to use a Sleep Journal to note down your thoughts, paying particular attention to the negative ones and how you can challenge them. Often, people are surprised at how often negative thought traps take hold!
Can you identify any familiar familiar, self-defeating thoughts in the table below? If so, have a look at the corresponding way you could challenge that thought:
NB: This article is for information purposes, and does not constitute medical advice. If you are experiencing difficulty sleeping, or have symptoms which prevent you from sleeping well, you should contact your medical practitioner.