I’m lying in bed underneath my gravity blanket. I’m cozy, warm, safe, and relaxed. Yet, when I shut my eyes, the never-ending thoughts begin. A whirl of Taylor Swift lyrics intermingle with work worries and regrets. To-do lists begin forming and car-cleaner jingles I’ve never managed to scrub from my mind run on a loop. This is my insomnia, and I’ve been living with it for as long as I can remember.
According to The Cleveland Clinic, about one in every three adults has trouble sleeping. However, not all of us share the same struggle. Some of us have trouble with the initial effort of falling asleep, while others wake up in the middle of the night—or hours before their alarms sound. During the day, this lack of shut-eye may cause moodiness, foggy thoughts, and feelings of fatigue. If you have any experience with chronic or acute insomnia, you may be reading along thinking, check, check, and check. (Sigh.)
It’s common for everyday stresses to mount an attack on the mind late at night, Rebecca Spencer, a sleep researcher, says. “During the day, we have all these sensory inputs that distract us from whatever…
