01/09/2026
The harder you try to sleep, the more impossible it becomes.
Here's what's actually happening: Your brain interprets your anxiety about not sleeping as a threat. Your nervous system shifts into fight-or-flight mode. Your body floods with cortisol. And now you're lying there, exhausted but wired, trapped in a cycle where worrying about sleep is literally preventing sleep.
I spent years in this loop before I understood the truth: You can't force your way into sleep. But you can guide your nervous system there.
The solution isn't sleep hygiene tips or counting sheep. It's nervous system regulation—shifting from sympathetic (fight-or-flight) into parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) mode.
What actually works:
Yoga Nidra – "yogic sleep" that guides you into deep relaxation without effort
NSDR (Non-Sleep Deep Rest) – accessible protocols that calm your system in minutes
Breathwork – physiological sighs and extended exhales that signal safety to your brain
Acupuncture – strategically placed needles that calm the central nervous system
Bodywork – therapeutic massage that manually downregulates your nervous system
When we work together at Helia, this is what we're addressing beneath the surface.
Chronic tension isn't just tight muscles—it's a dysregulated nervous system that never fully shifts into rest mode.
Your body needs permission to feel safe before it can sleep.
Book a session and let's get your nervous system out of overdrive.
