Wide Awake. You Too? Journaling Tips for Insomnia
It’s 5AM and I am in my closet, typing this blog post.
No, I am not part of the 5AM Club though that concept has intrigued me from time to time. It’s another book(1) I have not gotten around to reading, but I have heard great things from those who have.
In fact, I regularly wake up at 5:30AM, because I have high schoolers (why does high school start so early?) and I like to journal and read my Bible to start my day off before they hit the kitchen on their way out the door.
But, today I am up this early because I couldn’t sleep. I have been awake for an hour already.
There are multiple reasons we get hit with insomnia, and different approaches on what to do when you can’t sleep.
I have heard recommendations to use that time to think good things about yourself. You know, those things that you don’t let your brain focus on because you are too busy beating yourself up. List your wins, your strengths, things you like about yourself. Your brain may think these things are boring because they might not be super-believable to you. Might as well use that time to plant some positive seeds in your brain. Maybe don’t let your brain wander to your dreams and aspirations for the future though, because that is exciting and will keep you awake.
Sometimes deep breathing is effective, especially the 4-7-8 method. Breathe in for 4 counts, hold for 7 counts, and breathe out for 8 counts.
Some people say to get up and read, and that will make you sleepy. I really love reading though, so unless it’s a really boring book, I don’t do this.
I am making it sound like this happens to me all the time. It doesn’t. But it does happen often enough that I have go-to’s to try.
My personal tactics depend on what time I find myself awake, and what state my mind is in. If it’s 4AM or later, I try to fall back to sleep for a while, and then just get up and do something productive. My thinking is that if I get something accomplished at a time when I am supposed to be sleeping, then I can take a nap later in the day when I would usually be productive.
If someone is really on my mind, I consider that maybe God has woken me up because I need to be praying for them. Weirdly, sometimes I find out later that the person really did need prayer that night.
If I can’t fall asleep, or if I wake up in the middle of the night and can’t get back to sleep, I get up and journal. I wait until I have tossed and turned for a half an hour or more. This is hard to know because I don’t look at a clock right away. I am too busy trying to fall back asleep. (I read somewhere that looking at the clock when you can’t sleep will keep you awake). If falling back to sleep is not working, or I am noticing that my mind is busy, I will then get up and get the journal out.
What does one journal about in the wee hours of the morning?
Here are my personal tips for journaling in times of insomnia.
If there is something distressing on my mind, that’s a no-brainer. I need to hash it out and figure out what my brain so urgently needs me to attend to. The FACETS model is great for this. Once I look at what comes up from separating the facts from my actions, context, emotions, thoughts, and body sensations, I can reflect on where the urgency is coming from.
Is the material that I just wrote down similar to some way I have felt in the past? Oh, yeah, that again. How did I get through it in the past? Can I do that again now?
Does the information that came up with the FACETS model help me see that there is a part of myself that is just loud right now?
What part of myself or emotion is feeling ignored, left out, dismissed?
Is there a need I have that is going unmet? If so, what can I do about it?
Is there a conversation I need to have with someone, and if so, how do I want that to go? What is the most important thing I want to say to that person? What do I definitely NOT want to say to that person? Will this conversation make things better, or should I journal a letter to this person that I never send?
Am I trying to control something that is not mine to control?
What else is lingering about this situation for me?
How does God want me to think about this situation? Are there any Scriptures that come to mind that are relevant to this? Do I need to spend some time praying, or journaling a letter to God about this?
Sometimes just a bunch of random stuff clutters my mind, nothing that feels terribly pressing, but just scattered, and busy, and active. Like a bunch of monkeys who have had some caffeine and candy. Writing down those thoughts helps let my brain know, “I am on it.”
I’ll start with something like “What’s on my mind?” and just start a list. Then I will categorize things that are similar together.
If they are things I need to do, I make a plan for when I will do them.
Sometimes it’s enough to plan to think about it next Monday.
Sometimes I actually write it in the calendar.
Currently I have a list of household chores scribbled on a notepad. It was enough to just write down that I want to accomplish these things at some point (you know, stuff like organizing certain closets, winterizing flower gardens, washing the upstairs windows). Just writing them down stopped my brain’s taunting,
“YOU HAVE SO MUCH TO DO AND YOU ARE NEVER GOING TO GET TO IT.”
(My brain can be really mean and bossy sometimes.)
“I know, Brain. You are looking out for me, holding me accountable to all the things I say I want to do. But now I’ve got a list, and I will tackle these things when I can. I have other pressing things to do in the near future, but I won’t forget about these things now because I have a list.”
(My brain can also be pretty gullible).
Sometimes I need to write the steps I need to take to tackle that task. That also shuts my brain up, especially when I add a timeline. My brain knows I am serious when there is a timeline.
Sometimes I need to give myself permission to not do that thing. If I find myself feeling resistance to not doing the thing, I know that I probably need to run it through the FACETS model to understand that better.
Sometimes I just get up and do the thing, if I can do it without waking anyone up. Which is why I am in the closet, writing a blog post. For the first time since I started blogging, I had writer’s block this week. There was absolutely nothing I felt like writing about earlier this week.
So here I am, figuring that if I am awake at 4:30AM, someone else is, too. Someone needs to know this is normal, it happens to everyone, even therapists.
It doesn’t have to be habitual, though. In fact if it is habitual, you may be someone who could use some extra help working on what is keeping you awake. And not just from me. Sometimes there are medical reasons for insomnia that require a doctor’s expertise. But it also can be anxiety. Or PTSD. Or grief. Often if we have physical symptoms we also have emotional symptoms. The body, mind, and spirit are just connected that way. The emotional experience can exacerbate the phsyical and vice versa, which creates a cycle that maintains itself. It is important to work on the physical issues and address things like diagnoses and medications in tandem with practical solutions like reducing caffeine and alcohol use, increasing exercise (but not too close to bedtime), and implementing good sleep hygiene routines like cutting out screentime before bed, a cup of tea, a warm relaxing bath.
Let me know if you need some help with the deeper emotional stuff that could be keeping you up. But if you call me this afternoon, you’ll have to leave a message. I’ll be taking a nap.
References:
(1) Sharma, R. (2018). The 5AM Club: Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life. Harper Collins Publishers. https://www.robinsharma.com/book/the-5am-club
(2) WebMD Editorial Contributors (2021).What to Know About 4-7-8 Breathing. https://www.webmd.com/balance/what-to-know-4-7-8-breathing
Jennie Sheffe is a National Certified Counselor ™ who helps women find freedom from anxiety and peace in their chaos. She sees clients virtually in the state of Pennsylvania, or in her downtown Carlisle, PA office. She offers Christian counseling and EMDR Therapy.
