Relieving Insomnia: How Somatic Therapy Helps Relieve Anxiety and Restore Sleep
Make peace with anxiety and get restful sleep.
3 min read
How does somatic therapy help with insomnia?
Somatic therapy treats anxiety and insomnia as connected and felt in the body, not the mind alone. By helping you slow down and notice bodily sensations, it moves the nervous system out of a state of high activation and into a more restful state. Therapists also work with the root causes stored in the body, using approaches like Sensorimotor Psychotherapy to break the cycle of sleeplessness.
Downtown Somatic Therapy is a New York City practice that works with anxiety, stress, and sleep through body-centered approaches such as Sensorimotor Psychotherapy. Its therapists treat the physical roots of sleeplessness rather than the symptoms alone.
In our day-to-day lives, the weight of stress often manifests in our bodies, leading to overwhelming anxiety and disrupting our sleep – something that those living in New York City can relate to. Somatic therapy offers a unique, holistic approach that addresses these issues by recognizing the deep connection between the body and mind.
By delving into the physical sensations and bodily experiences associated with anxiety, somatic therapy can offer a pathway to calmness and relief from insomnia.
Anxiety can leave individuals feeling trapped in a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. Somatic therapy acknowledges that these feelings are not confined to the mind alone—they are felt in the body. As David Charme, a therapist at Downtown Somatic Therapy notes, “so often daily life can put our nervous systems into a state of rev. We can more easily recognize this when the rev gets high, like when we feel really anxious, but even a low hum of anxiety can make it hard to fall asleep. Part of the beginning work in somatic therapy is helping clients to slow down and begin to notice their body sensations and in turn move into a more restful state.”
“So often daily life can put our nervous systems into a state of rev. We can more easily recognize this when the rev gets high, like when we feel really anxious, but even a low hum of anxiety can make it hard to fall asleep.”
One of the core principles of somatic therapy is the belief that the body holds its own healing wisdom. As Downtown Somatic Therapy therapist David Charme observes, “when we get caught up in a cycle of anxiety and insomnia, it can often feel like our body is rebelling against us. Part of what makes somatic therapy so helpful is that it empowers us to listen to our bodies, fostering a deeper connection with ourselves.”
David continues, “as clients become more attuned to bodily sensations, they begin to gain insights into the underlying causes of their anxiety and insomnia. This heightened awareness facilitates the development of coping mechanisms and enhances their ability to manage stress and sleep in the long term.”
What sets somatic therapy apart from traditional talk therapy approaches is that it doesn’t just address the symptoms of anxiety and insomnia. Instead, it fosters a real shift in how individuals relate to themselves and the world around them. By engaging in somatic practices, clients can cultivate a deeper sense of self-awareness and resilience. They learn to notice the subtle cues their bodies provide, enabling them to intervene before anxiety escalates or sleeplessness takes hold.
This newfound awareness extends beyond therapy sessions, empowering individuals to incorporate these practices into their daily lives. As they embrace a more embodied way of being, they equip themselves with invaluable tools to navigate the complexities of life in a more centered and balanced manner.
“Part of what makes somatic therapy so helpful is that it empowers us to listen to our bodies, fostering a deeper connection with ourselves.”
Finally, somatic therapy gets at core issues that might be holding us back from a good night’s sleep. Somatic therapies like Sensorimotor Psychotherapy are rooted in the understanding that the body is a repository of past experiences and unprocessed emotions. As David Charme notes, “the past has a way of living in the present, and the body is often where the residue of the past is imprinted and can cause discomfort, dysregulation, and sleep disturbance.”
In Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, therapists focus on bodily sensations and movements to access and integrate implicit memories—those stored within the body rather than consciously remembered. David shares that, “by navigating the root causes of anxiety and tension stored in the body, somatic therapy approaches offer individuals the opportunity to break the cycle of sleeplessness, fostering an environment more conducive to peaceful and rejuvenating sleep.”
“By navigating the root causes of anxiety and tension stored in the body, somatic therapy approaches offer individuals the opportunity to break the cycle of sleeplessness, fostering an environment more conducive to peaceful and rejuvenating sleep.”
Somatic therapy can be a powerful approach in alleviating the intertwined burdens of anxiety and insomnia. By embracing the body-mind connection and exploring the physical manifestations of anxiety, individuals, guided by skilled somatic therapists like those at Downtown Somatic Therapy, can embark on a transformative journey toward healing and restoration, improved sleep, and a renewed sense of well-being.
Find relief from anxiety and restore your sleep
If you are looking to ease anxiety and sleep better, reach out to a therapist at Downtown Somatic Therapy to get started.
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Yes. Somatic therapy addresses the anxiety and tension that often disrupt sleep by working with the body, not the mind alone. It helps the nervous system move from a state of high activation into a calmer, more restful state.
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Anxiety is felt in the body, and even a low hum of it can make falling asleep hard. Daily stress can put the nervous system into a state of high activation that keeps sleep out of reach.
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It is a somatic approach rooted in the understanding that the body holds past experiences and unprocessed emotions. Therapists focus on bodily sensations and movement to access memories stored in the body rather than consciously remembered.
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Rather than addressing only the symptoms, somatic therapy changes how you relate to yourself and your body. You learn to notice the subtle cues your body provides so you can settle before anxiety escalates or sleeplessness takes hold.
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As you become more attuned to bodily sensations, you gain insight into the causes of anxiety and insomnia and build coping skills that support sleep over the long term.