Sleep and Trauma: Why Rest Feels Unsafe
Sleep should feel like the ultimate reset. But for many people who have experienced trauma, falling asleep—or staying asleep—can feel anything but safe. Nightmares, hypervigilance, and restlessness often get in the way of rest. At Body and Mind Collective, we help clients understand why trauma impacts sleep and how healing the nervous system can restore a sense of safety at night.
Why Trauma Disrupts Sleep
When you’ve experienced trauma, the nervous system often struggles to fully relax. The brain’s alarm center, the amygdala, can remain hyperactive, signaling danger even in safe environments. This overactivation interferes with the natural sleep cycle.
Common trauma-related sleep issues include:
Difficulty falling asleep (the body resists letting its guard down)
Frequent waking or insomnia
Nightmares or night terrors
Hypervigilance (staying alert to sounds or movements)
Feeling exhausted but “wired”
The Link Between Cortisol, Adrenaline, and Sleep
Two stress hormones, cortisol and adrenaline, play a major role in trauma-related sleep problems. When these hormones remain elevated, the body is in “fight or flight” mode—even during bedtime. Instead of shifting into rest-and-digest, the nervous system stays prepared for danger, making deep rest difficult.
Why Rest Can Feel Unsafe
From a survival perspective, rest means vulnerability. If you’ve lived through trauma, your nervous system may associate sleep with risk. Lying down in the dark, being still, or losing awareness can unconsciously trigger the body to resist sleep.
This explains why so many trauma survivors describe sleep as a battleground rather than a refuge.
Healing the Relationship Between Sleep and Trauma
The good news: just as trauma wires the brain for hypervigilance, healing can rewire it for rest. With trauma therapy and mind-body practices, it’s possible to retrain the nervous system to recognize safety at night.
Helpful approaches include:
Somatic therapy — releases stored tension and signals safety to the body
EMDR — reprocesses traumatic memories that may surface in nightmares
Breathwork and mindfulness — calm the stress response before bed
Gentle yoga or stretching — prepares the body for rest
Sleep rituals — consistent, soothing practices that anchor a sense of safety
Moving Toward Restful Sleep
Healing from trauma isn’t just about surviving the day—it’s also about reclaiming the night. Restful sleep becomes possible when the nervous system learns it is safe enough to let go.
If sleep feels unsafe, remember: it’s not your fault. Your body is protecting you the best way it knows how. With compassionate care and the right tools, you can restore safety, rest, and renewal.
