Trying to Outsmart the Bogeyman in My Nightly Insomnia Battle
Battling anxiety's evil twin who tortures me when I try to sleep
I wake up with a start, sweat dripping off my forehead despite the air conditioning set to Arctic levels. My heart begins beating faster, and it seems to echo around the room in the silence. It feels like I've had a gallon of Red Bull injected directly into my veins. Sleep has abandoned me once again.
The witching hour has summoned the Bogeyman, and I'm terrified as he begins his nightly torment; a sleepless, anxious night awaits. What makes it worse is the Bogeyman is my anxious mind.
Sandman v Bogeyman
30% of adults experience some form of short-term insomnia, while around 10% of people have long-lasting insomnia. Unfortunately, I fall into that ten percent category, and much of it is due to my mental anxiety.
I have no trouble falling asleep, drifting off minutes after my head hits the pillow, but each night, like clockwork, around 2 am, I jerk awake, my mind instantly spinning. Negative thoughts flood in as I mentally review every worry, challenge, source of stress, and imagined worst-case scenario.
Will I earn enough next month? What if my client doesn't like my proposal? What if none of my…
