Resolving Sleep Issues Through Nervous System Regulation

If you’ve ever tossed and turned at night, wondering why you just can’t seem to get the rest you need, you’re not alone. In this episode of You Make Sense, Sarah Baldwin breaks down how insomnia, struggling to stay asleep, and other sleep disorders are often deeply connected to what’s happening in your nervous system.

Sarah explains why stress, unresolved trauma, and even daily overwhelm can keep you stuck in fight-or-flight, making deep sleep and rest nearly impossible. From easy, science-backed strategies like movement and time in nature to simple bedtime routines and setting boundaries, this episode is packed with practical tools to help you experience better quality sleep.

Episode Highlight:

00:00 Intro

00:35 Why Do We Struggle with Sleep?

04:31 7 Things You Need to Achieve Deep Rest

12:36 Effects of Chronic Lack of Sleep

16:50 The Epidemic of Sleep Disorders

21:24 3 Categories of Sleep Struggles

30:02 Why Nervous System Regulation is Needed for Deep Sleep

32:57 Creating a Nighttime Routine

39:00 Finding Relief From Insomnia

43:30 Unresolved Emotions or Grief Can Impact Sleep

46:58 What To Do When You Wake Up During the Night

48:40 Setting Boundaries Around Sleep

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Important Keywords:

Nervous System Regulation – Techniques used to discharge activation and bring the nervous system back into a state of rest. Regulation helps move the body out of a fight/flight, freeze, or shut down response and into a balanced state of presence and connection.

Dysregulation – A state of active self-protection where the nervous system perceives danger. This can either be caused by a real threat based in the present moment or stem from past trauma, danger, or hardship, causing our system to superimpose a past experience onto the present.

Sympathetic Nervous System – When our system believes there is something we can do about the threat, it will send us into this mobilized state of dysregulation, often sometimes referred to as “fight or flight.” This is where we experience things like anxiety, terror, rage, panic, fear, agitation, or irritation.

Freeze State – A blended state of dysregulation experienced as tonic immobility. It is made up of equal parts mobilizing sympathetic energy and immobilizing dorsal energy, rendering us stuck. This state of dysregulation can make it difficult to fall or stay asleep..

Circadian Rhythm – The body’s internal clock that regulates sleep-wake cycles. Exposure to natural light in the morning and evening helps align this rhythm, making it easier to fall and stay asleep.

Restorative Rest – True rest that recharges the nervous system, which is different from passive activities like watching TV or scrolling on your phone. Practices like meditation, sound baths, and deep breathing help bring the body into a relaxed state before sleep.