Sleep, why It matters, and why I’m writing this at 6AM

I’ll be honest with you, I'm writing this because I can’t sleep.

It’s 6am, I’ve been tossing and turning for an hour, and somewhere between thinking about today’s to-do list and the fact that I haven’t written a blog post in far too long, here we are.

Funny how that works, isn’t it?

Sleep has been on my mind a lot lately, if you follow me on a social media, you might have seen my sleep tips. In reality, I’m a good sleeper but I wasn’t always and when my to do list gets longer, my sleep gets worse.

A Confession About Coffee (and a well known energy drink)

Back when I was at university, I drank more coffee and energy drinks than I care to admit. Deadlines, all-nighters, back-to-back classes, two young children… sleep was a luxury, not a priority. At the time, I wore it like a badge of honour, four hours was a miracle. Now? I realise I was running on fumes and setting a pattern that would take years to unlearn.

It’s no wonder sleep deprivation is used as a form of torture. When we’re sleep-deprived, everything feels harder: thinking clearly, managing emotions, making decisions, or, in my case this morning, figuring out what to write for this blog. I figured I’d stick to what I know. I’m Karen Gerrans, former insomniac, current sleep enthusiast and CBT therapist. I see how difficult sleeping well is for many of my clients and want to share what I know.

So… why does sleep matter so much?

As a therapist, I see just how central sleep is to mental and emotional health. It’s not just about feeling tired. It’s about:

• Regulation: Our brains rely on sleep to help us regulate emotions, which means it directly impacts anxiety, stress, and even mood swings.
• Resilience: A well-rested brain can bounce back faster from tough situations. A tired one? Not so much.
• Recovery: Whether we’re healing from trauma, navigating change, or just trying to get through a tough week, sleep is when our body and mind do some of their most important work.

Why we don’t always sleep (even when we want to)

Sometimes it’s caffeine. Sometimes it’s stress. Sometimes it’s hormones (shout out to my peri-menopause friends). Sometimes it’s our nervous system refusing to switch off, even when we’ve done everything ‘right’. Other times, like now, it’s simply the weight of everything we haven’t had time to process during the previous day or week finally catching up with us.

For many of us, sleep becomes the first thing to go when life gets hectic. But what if we started treating it as essential, rather than optional?

How Therapy Can Help

If sleep is something you struggle with regularly, therapy can offer support in ways you might not expect. We can work on:

• Understanding what's keeping your mind so busy at night
• Identifying habits that disrupt your rest (hello, 3pm espresso)
• Creating routines that help signal to your brain that it's time to wind down
• Using approaches like CBT-I (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia) and sleep hygiene
• Exploring emotional or psychological blocks to rest, because sometimes the problem isn’t ‘just’ about sleep

A few sleep-friendly tips (from someone who should be following them)

1. Keep a consistent sleep schedule: Yes, even on weekends.
2. Avoid screen overload at night: Swap the scroll for a book, podcast, or mindfulness.
3. Watch caffeine intake: It stays in your system for longer than you think (no more coffee after lunch… I say to myself).
4. Try a wind-down routine: Signal to your brain that it’s safe to relax.
5. Be kind to your tired self: Don’t fight sleepless nights with frustration. Get up, do something gentle, and try again.

Final thoughts from a sleep-deprived therapist

Sleep isn’t a luxury or a sign of laziness, it’s a foundation of good mental health and wellbeing. Whether you’re running on adrenaline, avoiding your thoughts, or just can’t figure out why you’re wired at midnight, know this: You definitely aren’t alone!

And if sleep has become a nightly struggle, therapy might be a place where you can begin to make peace with it, and yourself. You can find out more by booking a free initial consultation using the form on my website. Don’t forget to follow on Facebook and Instagram, for feel good posts and CBT tips.

Until then, I’m off to get ready for the day ahead and looking forward to my bed tonight.