It begins the same way every night. The room is quiet, but the mind is a chaos. Thoughts pile up like an unrelenting storm—unfinished conversations, forgotten tasks, an embarrassing moment from years ago. The harder you try to switch off, the louder everything gets. You toss, turn and rearrange the pillows, but minutes turn into hours. It is a battle. Sounds familiar? Last month, Google searches for ‘How to Cure Insomnia’ surged by over 5,000 per cent. This means the world is desperate for rest but trapped in an unrelenting cycle of sleeplessness. But what if the way we’ve been fighting sleep is the very thing keeping it away?
The Truth About Sleeplessness
Insomnia is not just about lying awake; it’s a disruption of the body’s natural sleep cycle. The brain remains in a heightened state of alertness, making it difficult to relax. As a result, even after spending hours in bed, the body and mind fail to feel restored. Studies suggest that excessive worry about sleep can make the problem worse, creating a cycle of anxiety and wakefulness. Instead of forcing sleep, experts recommend shifting focus to relaxation and healthy sleep habits, which can help the body naturally regulate its sleep patterns.
The Power of Acceptance
For 34-year-old Sneha Kapoor from Delhi, insomnia wasn’t just an inconvenience; it was a slow unravelling. “I was exhausted, but my brain refused to switch off. I would lie in bed, heart racing, replaying work conversations, scrolling mindlessly through my phone until dawn. And then I’d drag myself through the day, dizzy with fatigue.” She tried everything: meditation in the Himalayas, sleep apps, herbal teas etc. Some worked, some didn’t. Things changed when she met a therapist who introduced her to Guy Meadows.
According to Dr Guy Meadows, founder of The Sleep School, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is changing the way we treat insomnia. ACT is a third-wave psychological therapy that focuses on transforming an individual’s relationship with the pain and discomfort that’s arising in their life. It teaches them how to be open to accepting it while moving towards what’s important to them. The concept teaches that instead of fighting insomnia, people learn to accept it, and paradoxically, that’s when sleep begins to return. It sounds counterintuitive, but think about it. The harder you try to sleep, the more awake you feel. The more you check the clock, the more anxious you become. It’s not just sleeplessness that torments you; it’s the fear of it.
What Actually Works
A study in the Nature and Science of Sleep journal found that ACT-based interventions led to significant improvements in sleep outcomes, including reductions in insomnia severity and sleep effort, as well as enhancements in sleep-related quality of life and subjective sleep quality. According to Guy’s research, one of the biggest mistakes people make when dealing with insomnia is fighting it. The more you resist wakefulness, the more your brain registers it as a threat, fuelling anxiety and making sleep even more elusive. Instead of engaging in this struggle, ACT teaches individuals to acknowledge their sleeplessness without resistance. By letting go of the desperation to fall asleep, the body naturally relaxes, reducing the stress response that keeps it awake.
Rest, even without sleep, is still beneficial. The body has an innate ability to heal and restore itself in a state of deep rest. Shrestha Mudgal, researcher & psychologist from Delhi, says, “Even if you’re not fully asleep, lying down with your eyes closed in a relaxed state allows the nervous system to slow down, which is restorative in itself. Rather than obsessing over lost hours, shifting focus to simply unwinding can improve sleep quality over time.”
Overthinking is another major culprit in insomnia, with racing thoughts keeping the brain in an alert state. Cognitive Defusion, a technique used in ACT, helps break this cycle by detaching from thoughts instead of getting caught in them. Rather than analysing every worry, individuals are encouraged to visualise them as passing clouds or write them down before bed, allowing the mind to let go of them more easily. Modern sleep culture has also placed an overemphasis on tracking and measuring sleep, which can backfire.
Rebuilding Your Relationship with Sleep
It is crucial to understand that there’s no magic pill for insomnia. No hack that guarantees perfect sleep. But there is a way forward; through letting go of control and learning to trust your body again, one can surely ease the situation. Try this tonight; instead of dreading bedtime, welcome it.
Risk Factors
● You're a woman. Changes in hormones during the menstrual cycle and in menopause may play a role
● You're over 60. Because of changes in sleep patterns and health, it's more likely you'll have insomnia as you get older
● You do not have a regular schedule. For example, changing shifts at work or travelling can disrupt your sleep-wake cycle
● Many issues that affect your mental or physical health can also disrupt sleep