Many people can’t sleep at night without knowing that unresolved guilt can cause insomnia.
They become anxious but don’t know how to seek treatment to find the root cause.
Teh Healinghart Centre Clinical Psychologist, Ms. Doreen Teh, shares this insightful story.
No one is perfect.
We all have made our fair share of mistakes in life, and there are things we have done that still ‘haunt’ us.
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Sleepless Nights Not Sleeping
We may not realize how our past can affect us until we experience repeated negative consequences, such as disturbed or poor-quality sleep.
Many people have trouble falling asleep or getting enough rest.
They may sleep fitfully, tossing and turning at night, wake up tired, and feel like they haven’t slept.
Usually, they will see their general physician when they feel fatigued and the lack of sleep has affected their work or other aspects of life.
They may start taking sleeping pills and become dependent on them, eventually losing their effectiveness.
Can Insomnia Be Caused by Unresolved Guilt?
As insomnia sets in, the sufferers often feel anxious at bedtime when they walk into their bedroom.
Some may have tried many other ways to help themselves relax or sleep but have been unsuccessful.
This group of people may become too concerned about their health.
A few may become somewhat paranoid and believe they have significant health issues or severe illnesses.
Several years ago, I saw an elderly gentleman who confessed that he had seen many doctors and specialists but had received no results.
He still could not sleep.
Healing Session for Unresolved Guilt
In our 1st session, he shared that he could not forget something embarrassing that he had done as a curious and cheeky kid.
It excited him whenever he successfully took something and did not get caught.
It could be a pencil or eraser or small items.
He liked the adrenaline rush, and over time, he took more critical things.
Now in his twilight years, as he goes down ‘memory lane,’ he feels ashamed and guilty for the ‘wrongs’ he had done.
I reminded him it was never too late to apologize and ask forgiveness.
Even if the person we wronged is not in front of us or willing to forgive, so long as we sincerely repent and ask for forgiveness, we can still enjoy letting go of our negative past.
No one is perfect.
We all have done wrong things in our lives.
In this case, it was clear he did not intentionally cause pain or harm to anyone or anything.
A hand-drawn depiction of a man trying to sleep while haunted by images symbolizing unresolved feelings of guilt.
He can start this process by forgiving himself first.
Once he started forgiving himself, he began to call upon those who felt he might have hurt and asked for forgiveness.
It is important to remember that it is not as crucial if the other forgives us.
What matters most is we do what we can on our part.
Leave the response to the other person!
At the next session, he was beaming and told me he had already felt better after our 1st session, and he started practicing forgiveness.
Voila! He could sleep again and improve his mental health.
In the 4th session, he gladly informed me he did not need to face the guilty culprit again!
Adding on, other things affect Sleep and Insomnia.
What to Do When You Can’t Sleep?
If you’re one of the millions of people who struggle with insomnia, you may find your mind racing as you struggle to fall asleep.
Sometimes, you can feel too tired to fall asleep.
Not sleeping for long periods can be detrimental to your health.
Types of Insomnia
Insomnia can be acute (short-term) or chronic (ongoing).
Acute insomnia is common and usually lasts for days or weeks.
Common causes include
- stress from work-family pressures or
- a traumatic event.
Chronic insomnia lasts for a month or longer.
Most cases of chronic insomnia are secondary – this means the insomnia is the symptom or side effect of some other problem;
Some of the issues are
- certain medical conditions
- medicines
- other sleep disorders.
Substances such as caffeine, tobacco, and alcohol can be a cause.
For some people, it can be the tannin in the tea.
Sometimes, chronic insomnia is the primary problem not caused by some immediate event.
The cause of chronic insomnia is not well understood.
Long-lasting stress, emotional upset, travel, and shift work can cause sleeplessness.
Primary insomnia usually lasts more than one month.
Symptoms of Insomnia
- Eyes are closed, but feeling many thoughts running through your head
- Lying awake for a long time before you fall asleep
- Sleeping for only short periods
- Being awake for much of the night
- Feeling as if you haven’t slept at all
- Waking up too early
Insomnia Treatments
Treatments for insomnia include lifestyle changes, counseling, and medicines.
Lifestyle changes include good sleep habits that often help relieve acute (short-term) insomnia.
These changes will make it easier for you to fall asleep.
And more importantly, stay asleep.
For chronic (ongoing) insomnia, a type of counseling called cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can help relieve the anxiety linked to not sleeping at night.
Some medicines can help relieve your insomnia by establishing a regular sleep schedule.
Can Guilt Cause Insomnia?
No matter where the guilt comes from, the stress of the wrongdoing can severely affect some people.
While mostly psychological, some physical effects can include an inability to sleep, a loss of appetite, and a feeling of dread or impending doom – a symptom of anxiety.
If your insomnia is the symptom or side effect of another problem, do find the time to treat the root cause problem (if possible).
A guilt complex can also lead to feelings of anxiety, depression, and stress including difficulty sleeping, loss of interest, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and social withdrawal.
