For some, it only happens when something bad occurs. For others, it’s a nightly struggle. Either way, 40 million  Americans have difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or sleeping as long as they would like, according to this Marpac infographic we recently found via the National Sleep Foundation and shared on our Facebook and Twitter pages:

And as it is Healthy Sense of Self’s mission to help you get a good night’s sleep no matter what, we fully understand how sleep can impact not only your day, but your overall quality of life. That’s why we couldn’t be more excited about the NSF’s annual Sleep Awareness Week.

Kicked off with the foundation’s Sleep in America poll results, Sleep Awareness Week began March 2 and will wrap up with the changing of clocks for daylight savings on March 8^th when we all lose an hour of sleep.

In honor of the event, we’d like to share a little about what we know about insomnia and its causes: while there are many reasons for insomnia and each case is different, one common truth is that our own minds are often the root of the problem.

So, What Might Keep Us Up At Night?

As you will read in the Healthy Sense of Self book, “Anxiety about living up to the conditions we set for ourselves and about functioning well and satisfying our Ego–References the next day literally creates more anxiety—and that keeps us from sleeping.” In other words, Ego-References are the requirements we either consciously or subconsciously believe that we must meet in order to earn approval in life…and when we don’t meet them, we don’t sleep.

In addition to these perceived requirements we feel compelled to adhere to, we also know that insomnia is a result of an unsuccessful or unsatisfying attempt to give life to our own Hidden Agendas.

Hidden Agendas are our subconscious desires inspired by a perceived need for approval which lead  us to act in ways that may contradict our Self’s truest desires. When we rid ourselves of such agendas, we’re sure to get better sleep.

“Not keeping oneself dependent on the outcome of any action or behavior or the approval  of others, but rather standing independently (and ultimately interdependently) in our lives is the ultimate and real solution to many cases of insomnia.”-Antoinetta Vogels, Healthy Sense of Self

Taking part in introspection and making note of our habits and the way we experience our own Self is imperative to beginning to understand and overcome our own insomnia,  which is why #sleepweek is so important.

And What Is Keeping YOU Up At Night?

Are you tossing and turning all night? If so, are your Ego References or Hidden Agendas at the root of the problem?

Tell us about your experiences with (or lack of experiences with!) insomnia in the comments below or Tweet to us about them @HealthySoS with #sleepweek.

To learn even more about ways to overcome what’s keeping you from sleeping at night and from being your most effective, Healthiest Self, sign up for our newsletter and take our online Sense of Self-Help! course.