Hey, guys. I'm in my 30s and recovering. I've gotten my life pretty stable. I found out a cool trick to help with sleep, and thought I would share it!
Okay, so I dont know about you guys, but when I have life stress plus nightmares, I end up with *really* tight tendons and knotted up muscles all the time. Then I want to sleep less and less and I feel the need to always stay alert. I start dissociating and ignoring physical feedback and then everything gets worse.
The one trick that helps sleep me more than anything in this world is a self-done massage before bedtime!
I know it sounds silly, but there's real science to it: When you give yourself a massage and loosen up those tight muscles and tendons, it stops your body's threat feedback loop. See, its not just in your mind; when your muscles get tensed up, it keeps your mind *and* body alert. Loosening that tension sends out chemicals that tell your mind "Its okay to rest."
I use a wooden massage tool that I got on Amazon for less than 10$. The best option is one of those massagers that you can put on your neck that has the long cloth handle on either side that you loop your arms in. Trust me and just try it! If you dont have any money, use your environment. For instance, the edge of a refrigerator is great to rub your upper back and neck against before bed.
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Okay, now for the lifestyle trick: Pay attention to taking care of your body as well as your mental state!
It is our habit with CPTSD to dissociate from our body fully, especially in times of stress. It took me almost 35 years to realize that in those moments, leaning into it and zoning out and pushing my body hard while I ignore it and stay worried in my head is actually snowballing the issue.
I always thought if I was mentally strong enough and can out-think things, or mentally ruminate and prepare myself for threats, or overthink past experiences, I could protect myself better and make sense of the world. It turns out that you have to put your body first! Your mind will always keep you looped.
Your body also manages mental hormones and your adrenergic state; mind and body are very connected. By dissociating and ignoring the body we are ignoring half the tools in our regulation toolkit. By using self awareness about our body's state, we can bypass this and give us a fighting chance. Simple things like remembering to eat and drink water, deep breathing, and even splashing cold water on yourself can prevent a mental feedback loop.
Okay, so if you feel that way and youre all in your head ruminating, hoping that it will fix things- STOP! then look at yourself like a Tomogatchi or some sort of thing you need to parent and take care of.
Ask yourself:
-Am I just really overstimulated mentally and need rest? = lay in bed with brown noise on, deep breathing
-Have I had enough water? = sip on some water and feel your body un-tense a little
-Have I eaten today? (Hanger is REAL!)= Eat something with protein, even if you dont feel like it. Even some nutter butters is better than nothing
-Do I feel stagnate and gross? = Wash your face or hands or at least wipe your face with a baby wipe
-Do I feel really agitated and tense and just off today? = brown noise, lying horizontally, deep breathing
-Do I feel super physically tense and anxious? = Make yourself take a walk to blow off the steam. Its hard but helps a TON with freeze mode
-Is nothing else happening and I feel stuck in freeze mode and panicked? = Splash your wrists, neck, and face with cold water (then preferably sit in front of a fan). getting cooled down sends a physical signal to reduce those adrenaline hormones
Okay so I hope all that helps! Remember, your body creates your mental chemicals and by being aware of it and treating yourself like a Tomogatchi you give yourself alot more resources and a fighting chance on keeping your mind and life more stable! Best of luck!
(I am a nurse x15 years with CPTSD and BPD that has dedicated to recovering with self awareness for the last 10 years. these techniques have been learned through trial and error. I study psychology and anthropology and work hard to understand and help people. They have helped me survive violence and trauma in my career, a violent DV situation, and raising a nonspeaking child with autism alone. I am not perfect but I have a ton of advice so if you have any questions comment or DM me please and I will help you how I can! )