Knowing how to fall asleep under stress can be a gruelling task especially when suffering sleep deprivation symptoms that only contribute to the situation. When a person is stressed they have trouble getting to sleep as the anxiety is so overpowering and when people suffer lack of sleep, their stress levels increase. Yes this is a vicious circle but fortunately there are a few simple techniques that are known to reduce this problem.
My insomnia started in 2004 when we were moving out of our family home. The reason for the move was not due to financial reasons so this was not the cause of my sleep condition. I think the reason why I was suffering symptoms of sleep deprivation was due to stress caused by us moving away from so many memories and sentimental attachments to our family property.
During the three months prior to the move until roughly about a year afterwards I would have real difficulty falling asleep. I would lie awake thinking if we are doing the right thing or not, worrying and generally stressed about the situation. I would stay awake for hours on end, sometime even only having a total of three hours sleep per night.

My sleep condition left me bad tempered, ratty and feeling exhausted throughout the day, especially at work which was unpleasant for my colleagues. I would go home on an evening and collapse with tiredness. I knew I needed help and therapy to help with my stress levels and anxiety.
The negative affects of such sleep problems had on me was severe. I would feel non-functional throughout the day, tired and anxious at trivial situations. I would fall asleep while driving home from work some nights and have to pull over and get some fresh air. I would turn the radio up and wind the windows down just to stop me being so sleepy.
I would have horrific nightmares that involved our old house and dream certain weird predicaments about being stranded and not being able to wake up.
I also noticed that down to my tiredness and sleep deprivation I would be looking at a computer screen reading articles on how to fall asleep easier or watching TV and my eyes would uncontrollably shake from side to side. It was scary being out of control and the only thing I can put it down to was the lack of sleep caused by stress.
Another thing I noticed was my fatigue levels, I would have ZERO energy throughout the day, even after a Lucozade or similar energy drink products. My family would really get concerned as I would have dark rings round the eyes and just generally not be myself.
I went to see a therapist for advice on how to fall asleep when under stress and to see if they could treat the anxiety. They said the mind is powerful and if I had the ability to block out worry and stress I will regain my sleep pattern at night. She also said how to train the body back into relaxing when falling asleep again by going to bed when tired and not fighting the sleepiness. This was a known treatment to cure my the symptoms that sleep deprivation cause people and train your body to know how to fall asleep without using prescriptive medication. The therapist advised me to take some time off work and regain my mental state.

I took a weeks holiday from work and rested the entire time. I started to read and also did the new house up to how we wanted it. I got to meet the neighbours and the area really well which made me feel alot more at home and welcome to the neighbourhood.
I found that once we were settled and had our new pad all customised and altered, and when we got to know the neighbours, my sleep gradually improved. I trained my body back into having better sleep by reading novels if I woke up at night. Reading is a great way to take the mind of certain factors that are the cause of anxiety. I did find reading really helped me train my mind how to fall asleep if I ever had high stress levels on certain days as it took the attention from the worry in my life and outside world and I focused on the book.
I must admit that discovering reading was the most effective way and I now always have a good book on the go to help me relax and focus on something other than what may be disrupting my nights sleep with anxiety. Now I can sleep for a solid eight hours, I even need to set the alarm clock as I have slept in a couple of times and was late to work.
So my advise if you are suffering from sleep troubles and have stumbled upon this post is definitely try reading to help you block out thoughts and regain your natural sleep pattern.
How to Fall Asleep with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
My sleep deprivation symptoms started a few years ago when I was thirteen years old. I am 22 now and want to share my experience. When I was a young teenager I was heavily involved in motorcross racing. I took the sport seriously and once had a really bad accident which caused me to be hospitalised for a few days with a broken leg and shattered growing plate. The accident was so unique that the surgeon who had been in the business for 43 years said that he had only ever seen an injury of this sort two other times before mine.
During my healing time I struggled to get rest in the hospital ward as I was in severe pain and disturbed throughout the night by the other patients all around me. With the news that there was a 50 percent chance my leg would never grow again I started to worry during the night and feel the negative impact of the effects a lack of sleep can cause.
I had been told that I would be unable to continue professional motorcross racing which devastated me! I was really stressed about the situation and I asked the nurse if she knew how to help with the activities that were happening in the ward and she gave me some ear plugs. These did not cure my inability to sleep because I was constantly conscious there might have been another patient stood over me and I would be oblivious. These three days in an alien environment was the start of my sleep problems, when I got home I took my sleeping trouble home with me.

I had my entire leg in a cast from my groin to my toes which was partly the cause of the be not being comfortable and struggling to get to sleep but the main cause was the trauma, stress and worry that my leg would be permanently stumped. At night, I had a pillow under my injured limb to support it and help minimise my discomfort but I was struggling to find positions which made me fall asleep easier. Back then there was no such thing as an accessible laptop for me, in fact I was one of those kids who played in the woods on my bike rather than sat browsing the internet anyway but I could have done with a laptop for saving me from boredom. There is only so much daytime television a young lad can handle, this in itself could have been the cause of such intense symptoms of insomnia.
I asked the local pharmacy for easier methods or if she had any leaflets on how to fall asleep with such an uncomfortable cast on my leg and she gave me herbal sleeping pills. These did nothing. As time went by, I attended physiotherapy and had my body return to normal. Thank god I was lucky enough to have my leg grow again. But I continued with disrupted nights which resulted in my symptoms escalating due to post traumatic stress.
I would have flashbacks of the accident in the middle of the night and wake up in cold sweats. I would dream the exact moment of the impact and awaken with a tensed jolt of spasm throughout my body. There was nothing I could do to prevent this and the sleep deprivation symptoms made my school work suffer a fair amount. I would be too tired throughout the day at school. I did not really drink much coffee back then, in fact I barely knew what caffeine was so I was doomed!
When I asked the teacher how to fall asleep under stress and information on sleep apnea and traumatic events, she told me to go see a doctor. People who say teachers know everything, talk rubbish ay!
I asked the Biology Teacher the same question and she went into an in-depth description of brain chemicals that caused sleep deprivation for people who had experienced a trauma and were suffering post traumatic stress. I was a common example of the situation. My biology teacher did however give me valuable advice, she told me that the Doctors do treat the condition seriously and I would have a good chance to get some medication but in most cases Post Traumatic suffering is cured over time.
After talking to my parents about sleeping medication, they advised me that this should only be a last resort and I agreed. Over time, I found that I was improving and the flashbacks in my dreams were slowly getting decreasing. My sleep deprivation symptoms eventually vanished and I discovered that post accident sleeping troubles are cured with time…. I have since done a lot of reading into my situation and there is a lot of help out there for individuals who have experience similar situations. I was lucky to have regained the ability to fall asleep after stress and cure my insomnia as well as have a fully working leg.
I now take nothing for granted and live life gracefully.
If you are suffering a lack of sleep and want to know how to fall asleep easier and then please read all the other article on this website that explain people experiences with sleep deprivation symptoms and how they have cured them.