You're tired. You long for sleep. You lie down in bed and... suddenly your brain switches on a spotlight. "What if I didn't pay the bill?", "Tomorrow's meeting will be a disaster." Psychogenic (nervous) insomnia is a vicious cycle: you stress during the day, so you can't sleep at night, and lack of sleep makes you stress even more the next day.
Mechanism: State of Hyperarousal
Individuals with nervous insomnia have elevated metabolism, heart rate, and body temperature at night. Their sympathetic nervous system ("fight or flight") doesn't switch off. The brain treats sleep as a threat (loss of control), so it keeps you awake to "monitor" your surroundings.
Scientific Sources:
- Espie, C. A. (2002). "Overcoming Insomnia and Sleep Problems: A self-help guide using Cognitive Behavioral Techniques".
