A mattress or pillows that are too firm or too soft can also interfere with how fast you fall asleep and how deeply you sleep. These external factors can disrupt sleep and make it difficult for you to get comfortable. When sleeping in an uncontrolled environment, you’re also susceptible to other distractions like noise, light, and temperature changes. You may also wake several times throughout the night feeling disorientated by your surroundings. Even if you remind yourself that you’re safe, it can take quite some time for your body to catch up with your brain and relax enough to welcome sleep. Your body is on high alert, ready and prepared to protect you against any unexpected danger. New environments spark feelings of uncertainty, fear, and unease. Similar to your body’s flight-or-fight response, your body’s natural instinct is to protect itself against danger. Unfortunately, this isn’t always possible. You lower your risk of experiencing acute insomnia by sleeping in a familiar place. Many people are most comfortable in familiar surroundings. Have you ever spent the night at a hotel, friend’s house, or outdoors only to wake the next morning feeling terrible? Or did it take you much longer than usual to fall asleep? By nature, we’re creatures of habit. Stressful life occurrences can cause your body to enter a heightened state of awareness 24/7, causing acute insomnia for many. Unfortunately, in the high-stress world in which we live, this survival mechanism is often triggered by non-threatening events. This surge of hormones, also known as your body’s flight or fight response, puts your body in a state of action, not rest. These racing thoughts can also resurface as nightmares, waking you during the night and disrupting your sleep.Īdditionally, stress triggers your body’s autonomic nervous system (ANS) to release cortisol and adrenaline, two hormones that increase your heart rate and blood circulation. It can be difficult to calm your mind, purge negative thoughts, and relax your body enough to fall asleep. Your might is likely racing with countless thoughts, scenarios, and events.

When you’re stressed or upset, your body is in a constant state of alertness. This can create tightness and pain, making it difficult to find a comfortable sleeping position.Įxcess stress affects your mind as much, if not more than, it affects your body. Many people don’t even realize that they’re holding a lot of their stress in the muscles of their neck, back, and shoulders. Tension in your body and muscles is the main culprit for stress-related insomnia.

Stressful or traumatic events including divorce, death of a loved one, career change, and other major life events can make it difficult to fall and stay asleep. This is the most common cause of acute insomnia.

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