Your sandman may be hauling unwanted baggage. Painful memories mess with your ability to sleep—even years later, finds new Swedish research.
In the study, adults wrote down whatever autobiographical memories came to mind. Among those who scribbled mostly about negative or troubling experiences, measures of insomnia jumped more than 32 percent compared to people who recalled positive personal incidents.
Even 10 years after a painful or traumatic experience, recalling that tough time can significantly boost your stress levels, the researchers suggest. And dozens of studies have linked stress to poor sleep quality or insomnia.
Meditating, or just holding your girlfriend’s hand, are among the 52 ways you can chase away stress. But if the bad memories are still disrupting your ZZZs—and you’re willing to try something a little unorthodox—you might actually be able to make yourself forget unpleasant experiences, according to research from Trinity University.
Here’s how: Come up with one word you associate with your negative memory. For example, pick the word “presentation” if you can’t stop thinking about that client-briefing you butchered. Write down the word in red pen. Every week, spend 5 minutes looking at the cue word while trying not to think about your painful memory. Though the practice sounds strange, the Trinity research shows that your brain will gradually block out details surrounding that sleep-sapping event.
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