The Insomnia Community

 When Sleep Struggles Become an Invitation to Listen to Your Body

Last night, I struggled with sleep.

To be fair, I often struggle with sleep. But last night unfolded in a particularly strange way. Around 8 p.m., I decided to read for a while and unexpectedly fell asleep. In other words, I went to sleep too early.

I woke up around 10 p.m., went back to bed around 10:30, but I wasn’t tired anymore. So I read until about 11:30 p.m. Eventually, I fell asleep again, only to wake up around 2:30 a.m.—wide awake and ready to start the day.

I tried to fall back asleep, but no luck.

By about 4 a.m., I gave up and picked up my book again. Around 5:30 a.m., I finally began to feel tired… and then my alarm clock went off.

My official wake-up time.

That was the moment I became very grumpy.

A Common Struggle

Why am I sharing this?

Because I believe getting enough sleep is a common concern for many of us. Sleep deprivation and insomnia have many possible causes: stress, hormonal changes, lifestyle patterns, or simply the way our bodies have learned to function over time.

Whatever the cause, many of us eventually find ourselves joining what I jokingly call the “Insomnia Community.”

It’s a community that pharmaceutical companies and sleep specialists know well, since many people seek solutions through medications, treatments, and specialized assessments.

Insomnia Community

Searching for Solutions

Over the years, I’ve tried several approaches to improve my sleep.

I’ve used pharmaceuticals. I’ve tried cognitive behavioural therapy for sleep. I’ve even undergone a sleep assessment. I was told that perimenopause was the culprit and then was given a the long list of worries to consider with not having enough sleep.

But for me, the deeper causes feel more personal.

Listening to the Body

I believe my sleep struggles are connected to years of conditioning, years of willingly taking on many responsibilities and work pressures.

Earlier in life, especially beyond the intense years of being a new parent, I often ignored my body’s signals that it needed rest. Over time, that pattern may have trained my body to remain on constant alert.

Even now, when many of those pressures have eased, my body hasn’t fully learned to trust that the stress is over.

It’s still listening for alarms that may never come.

Becoming a Trusted Friend to Your Body

So now I’m trying something different.

Instead of fighting my body, I’m learning to work with it—patiently and gently. I want to show up for my body as a trusted friend so that it can eventually feel safe enough to relax.

Routine can be deeply nourishing for the body. Creating consistent rhythms, offering patience, and responding with kindness instead of frustration feels like a healthier path forward.

It’s time for me to practice this kind of nourishment: to become a patient, loving friend to my own body.

A Question for Reflection

In mainstream society, we’re often encouraged to push through fatigue and ignore our body’s signals.

But what if we did the opposite?

How are you showing up and being nourishing to your body?