Sleep Is a Soft Rebellion: A Trail Tool for Rest That Heals

We talk about sleep like it’s simple.

Just go to bed earlier. Get your 8 hours. Cut the caffeine. But for many people—especially those living with anxiety, trauma, or chronic stress—sleep is anything but simple.

Because when the world finally goes quiet, that’s when your body remembers what it hasn’t had time to feel. That’s when the thoughts come. That’s when the guard drops—and for some of us, that doesn’t feel safe.

So if your mind gets loud at night, or if your body resists stillness, or if you wake up tired no matter how long you’ve slept, you’re not lazy. You’re not broken.

You’re responding to a nervous system that hasn’t yet learned how to rest.

Why Sleep Is Hard (And Why That Makes Sense)

In trauma-informed therapy, we often see disrupted sleep as a symptom of hyperarousal or freeze states. It’s your system saying: “Now’s not the time to let go.”

You might:

• Dread bedtime because it feels lonely or unsafe

• Wake at 3am, wired, worried, or disoriented

• Sleep deeply but still feel unrested

• Have vivid dreams or night terrors

• Feel tired but unable to switch off

These patterns aren’t character flaws. They’re nervous system responses. And the good news is—they can shift.

Rest As Rewilding

In the wild, animals don’t apologise for resting. They nap under trees. Curl into nests. Let themselves sleep when they need to. There’s no shame in resting—only rhythm.

But we’ve been taught to override that rhythm. To earn rest.To hustle through exhaustion.To see stillness as weakness.

So here’s the radical invitation: Let sleep be a form of resistance. Let rest be the return.

Trail Tool: The “I Am Safe to Soften” Bedtime Practice

This is not a sleep hack. It’s a practice of presence—offered gently to your nervous system at the end of the day.

Before bed:

1. Dim the lights. Put your hand on your heart or belly.

2. Breathe in for 4, out for 6. Let your exhale be longer than your inhale.

3. Whisper or write: “It’s okay to let today end.”I am safe enough to soften now.”I don’t have to hold it all through the night.”

You don’t need to fall asleep immediately. You just need to show your body that rest is possible.

Sleep as Sacred Ground

This pillar isn’t about perfect sleep hygiene or rigid routines. It’s about restoring trust between you and your body. It’s about letting go of the day, not by force, but by invitation.

Sleep is where the nervous system repairs. Where memory consolidates.Where healing deepens.

So if you’re working through pain, burnout, trauma or just everyday overwhelm—prioritising sleep isn’t selfish. It’s survival. It’s sacred. It’s yours.

If sleep has become a battleground or a mystery, and you want support creating rest that feels safe, you can get in touch here.

With warmth and wildness, Sarah x

BACP & NCPS Accredited Psychotherapist

Rewild your mind. Come home to yourself.