The Link Between Trauma and Insomnia

Understanding why rest feels unsafe and how sleep can slowly return

If falling asleep feels impossible or staying asleep feels fragile, it is not because your body has forgotten how to rest. For many trauma survivors, insomnia is not a sleep problem. It is a safety problem.

Sleep requires vulnerability. Trauma teaches the nervous system that staying alert is necessary for survival.

Why Trauma Disrupts Sleep

Trauma changes how the brain and body respond to threat. Even when danger is no longer present, the nervous system may remain in protection mode.

This can show up as:

• Difficulty falling asleep

• Frequent nighttime waking

• Vivid dreams or nightmares

• Feeling wired despite exhaustion

• Anxiety around bedtime

These responses are adaptive. They developed to keep you safe.

The Nervous System Does Not Recognize Time

Trauma lives in the body, not in the calendar. Even years later, the nervous system may respond as if the threat is current.

At night, when external distractions fade, the body may increase vigilance. Darkness, silence, or stillness can feel unsafe to a system that learned danger happened when the guard was down.

This is not imagination. It is physiology.

Hypervigilance and the Trauma Brain

Trauma can keep stress hormones like cortisol elevated, especially at night. This makes it difficult for the body to transition into deep rest.

Instead of relaxing, the nervous system stays alert, scanning for danger even while lying in bed.

Sleep becomes light, fragmented, or elusive.

Why Bedtime Can Trigger Old Responses

For some, nighttime is when trauma originally occurred. For others, it was the only time emotions surfaced.

As a result, bedtime can activate:

• Fear without a clear source

• Racing thoughts

• Body tension

• Emotional flooding

• A sense of urgency or dread

These reactions are not choices. They are memories held in the nervous system.

Trauma-Informed Ways to Support Sleep

Focus on Safety, Not Sleep

Healing sleep begins with helping the body feel safe.

Gentle safety cues include:

• Soft lighting

• Predictable nighttime routines

• Comfortable textures

• Warmth and containment

• Familiar sounds

Sleep follows safety, not force.

Build a Relationship With the Body

Instead of pushing the body to sleep, work with it.

Supportive practices include:

• Slow breathing

• Grounding through touch

• Gentle stretching

• Naming sensations without judgment

These help signal that the present moment is safe.

Normalize Wakefulness Without Panic

Trauma-related insomnia often comes in waves.

When awake at night:

• Avoid clock watching

• Keep stimulation low

• Offer reassurance rather than frustration

• Focus on rest instead of sleep

Reducing pressure can soften hypervigilance.

Address Daytime Stress and Overload

A nervous system that is overwhelmed during the day struggles to rest at night.

Support includes:

• Reducing overcommitment

• Creating moments of regulation during the day

• Allowing emotional processing outside of bedtime

• Building predictable rhythms

Daytime safety supports nighttime rest.

When Additional Support Is Helpful

Trauma-related insomnia can also be influenced by hormonal changes, nutritional needs, medication effects, or health conditions. If sleep issues feel persistent or worsen, our nurse practitioner or dietitian can help explore physical contributors alongside therapy.

Sleep support works best when the whole system is considered.

Sleep After Trauma Is a Relearning Process

Rest returns gradually as safety increases. Progress may look like fewer awakenings, less fear around bedtime, or feeling calmer even without perfect sleep.

These shifts matter.

A Gentle Reminder

Insomnia after trauma is not a failure to relax. It is evidence of a nervous system that learned vigilance to survive.

Ready for Support With Trauma and Sleep?

If trauma-related insomnia is affecting quality of life, support is available. A free 15 minute consultation is offered for those wanting trauma-informed, nervous system-based care to help the body relearn rest.

We are here for you as safety and sleep slowly reconnect.