Episode 28: Practical Tips For Better Sleep to Help With Trauma Work with Misty Williams

Listen to Episode 28 with Misty Williams →

The Sleep You Desperately Need But Can't Access

You're exhausted down to your bones. You lie in bed for hours unable to fall asleep. When you finally drift off, you wake repeatedly throughout the night. You start the next day even more depleted than you ended the last one.

Everyone tells you to practice better sleep hygiene and establish a bedtime routine. You've tried all of that and nothing works because the issue isn't your habits.

Your body heals when you sleep. But stored trauma makes sleep nearly impossible. This is the cruel paradox of trauma healing.

I discuss practical sleep strategies with Misty Williams from Biology of Trauma® Summit 2.0. Sleep is essential for trauma work. Yet trauma disrupts the very thing your body needs most.

Why Sleep Matters for Trauma Healing

Your nervous system repairs during sleep through multiple biological processes. Your cells restore themselves and clear metabolic waste. Your brain processes emotions and consolidates memories. Your immune system strengthens and inflammation decreases.

Without quality sleep, trauma healing stalls regardless of what other work you're doing. You can't build nervous system capacity when your body isn't getting the restoration time it needs. You can't regulate effectively when sleep deprivation keeps you dysregulated. You can't process trauma when your brain doesn't have the recovery time that sleep provides.

Stored trauma in your body blocks sleep through multiple mechanisms. Your nervous system stays vigilant even when you're exhausted. Your body doesn't feel safe enough to fully let go into deep rest. You need sleep to heal trauma, but trauma prevents the sleep you need to heal.

When trauma is stored in your biology, your nervous system doesn't feel safe enough to fully rest. Sleep requires letting go of control and surrendering to unconsciousness. Trauma makes that feel dangerous because your body learned that letting down your guard brings threat.

What Actually Works for Trauma Survivors

Misty shares specific strategies that support nervous system regulation before bed. These aren't generic sleep hygiene tips that you've already tried without success. They're trauma-informed approaches that address the biological barriers to sleep.

Regular sleep advice doesn't work for trauma survivors because it doesn't address the root issue. Telling someone to "just relax" isn't helpful when their nervous system interprets relaxation as danger. Standard sleep hygiene ignores the hypervigilance that keeps trauma survivors alert even when they're exhausted.

You need approaches that address the biology underneath the sleep problems. This includes working with your nervous system's need for safety before rest, building capacity for the vulnerability that sleep requires, addressing the hyperarousal that trauma creates, and supporting your body's natural sleep architecture that trauma has disrupted.

Like other aspects of healing, sleep capacity builds gradually over time. Your nervous system learns through repeated experience that it's safe to surrender to sleep. This happens in small increments rather than all at once. You might start with five minutes of better sleep quality before the duration extends.

When Sleep Problems Signal Deeper Issues

Persistent sleep problems often indicate stored trauma your body hasn't processed yet. Your hypervigilance serves a protective purpose your nervous system remembers from when staying alert actually kept you safe. Until you address that stored trauma, sleep interventions only work partially.

Understanding the Biology of Trauma® reveals why sleep is so disrupted for trauma survivors. Your nervous system is doing exactly what it's supposed to do based on what it learned was necessary for survival. The problem isn't that you're doing sleep wrong but that your biology is protecting you from the vulnerability that sleep requires.

Misty's practical strategies work because they respect this biological reality. They build safety first before asking your nervous system to let go. They support regulation before expecting rest. They honor the pace your body needs rather than forcing sleep on a nervous system that doesn't feel secure enough yet.

When you approach sleep through the lens of trauma healing rather than just sleep hygiene, you recognize that improving sleep is part of healing your Biology of Trauma®. As you address the stored trauma, your capacity for sleep naturally improves because your nervous system no longer needs to stay vigilant through the night.

This Episode Is For:

✓ People whose trauma symptoms worsen from lack of sleep 

✓ Anyone lying awake despite exhaustion night after night 

✓ Practitioners whose clients struggle with sleep alongside trauma work 

✓ Those for whom standard sleep advice hasn't worked 

✓ Anyone recognizing their sleep problems connect to stored trauma 

✓ People ready for trauma-informed sleep strategies

What You'll Learn

Listen to get practical, trauma-informed sleep strategies that address the nervous system's need for safety before rest can happen. Discover why standard sleep advice fails trauma survivors. Learn how to build sleep capacity gradually while healing your Biology of Trauma®.

Your body wants to sleep, but it needs to feel safe enough first.

Listen to Episode 28 with Misty Williams →

Disclaimer

This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The information shared reflects my clinical expertise and research, but every person's biology and healing journey is unique. Always consult with qualified healthcare providers before making changes to your treatment plan or starting new interventions. If you're experiencing a mental health crisis, please contact emergency services or a crisis helpline immediately.

Join the Conversation

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode. What resonated with you? What questions came up?

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