There are nights when sleep feels difficult,
Not because your mind is racing,
But because everything feels heavy,
Low,
Flat.
You're tired,
But not restless.
Just wait it.
If you've ever noticed that low mood and disrupted sleep seem to travel together,
You're not imagining it.
Take a slow breath with me.
Inhale gently and exhale slowly.
Slowly.
Again,
Inhale.
Exhale.
Low mood and sleep are closely connected.
When your mood shifts,
Whether from stress,
Disappointment,
Burnout,
Or something harder to name,
Your sleep often shifts too.
You might wake up earlier than usual,
Or sleep lightly,
Or wake feeling unrefreshed.
This doesn't necessarily mean something is wrong,
But it does mean your system is carrying more than usual.
When mood drops,
Motivation drops,
Energy drops,
And your nervous system may struggle to settle into deep restoration.
Instead of asking,
Why can't I sleep?
You might gently ask,
What feels heavy right now?
Pause for a moment.
Is the heaviness emotional,
Physical,
Mental?
Sometimes low mood isn't dramatic,
It's subtle.
A quiet discouragement,
A sense of depletion,
A feeling of distance from your usual self and at night,
When distractions fade,
That heaviness becomes more noticeable.
Let's explore this.
When sleep feels disrupted by low mood,
What tends to happen?
Do you wake earlier than you want?
Do you lie there feeling flat?
Do you feel discouraged about tomorrow?
Notice the pattern,
But do it without judgment.
Low mood often reduces your sense of forward momentum,
And when momentum slows,
The mind may begin questioning,
Why am I so tired?
Why can't I shake this?
Will tomorrow feel the same?
And then these questions can create pressure.
Pressure increases activation.
Activation disrupts rest.
Instead of trying to force positivity,
Let's work with what is present.
Inhale slowly for four.
Exhale for six.
Again,
Inhale.
Exhale.
Now,
Bring some gentle movement into your body.
Roll your shoulders back.
Stretch your arms upward and open your chest slightly.
Low mood often pulls the body inward.
Small expansion signals possibility.
Now,
Close your eyes if that feels comfortable.
And imagine your low mood not as a problem to eliminate,
But as weather passing through.
Cloud cover,
Not permanent,
Not fixed,
Just present.
Now,
Silently repeat,
This feeling is here,
It will shift.
Again,
This feeling is here,
It will shift.
You don't have to solve your mood tonight.
You only need to soften around it.
If this resonates,
You might reflect during the day,
What has been draining my energy lately?
What feels discouraging or unresolved?
What would support feel like right now?
Writing about low mood during daylight helps prevent nighttime amplification.
And if your low mood feels persistent,
Overwhelming,
Or difficult to manage alone,
Consider reaching out to a licensed medical or mental health professional.
Support is a sign of strength.
Before we close,
Let's integrate a brief return to rest practice.
Inhale for four.
Inhale for four.
Exhale for six.
Place one hand lightly on your chest.
Soften your jaw.
Relax your tongue.
Silently repeat.
Sleep.
I don't need to feel different to rest.
I don't need to feel different to rest.
Sleep does not require perfect mood.
It requires gentleness.
It requires gentleness.
If you'd like something longer to guide you into deeper rest,
You'll find extended overnight practices and a deeper sleep experience on my profile here on Insight Timer.
For now,
Let heaviness soften.
For now,
Let heaviness soften.
Let the body rest.
Let tomorrow arrive in its own time.
