As many as 3 in 10 American adults struggle with chronic insomnia. There are countless reasons for this troubling trend, from too much screen time, to stress, to excess caffeine. However, there is one cause that may not jump out as obvious. Insomnia and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) often co-occur.
BPD is a condition known for its varying behaviors and moods. People with borderline personality disorder may make impulsive choices. They often experience episodes—lasting from hours to days—blending anxiety with anger and depression. Seemingly everyday events can trigger these and other symptoms.
Adding to all this, people with BPD struggle with insomnia that can make the condition worse; when you go without sleep, you’re less able to regulate your mood, escalating BPD symptoms. Therapy for insomnia and borderline personality disorder can improve sleep habits, and it also helps with other BPD-based struggles you may face. Finding the right borderline personality disorder specialists, like those at Suffolk DBT, for you can greatly help you improve your symptoms.
In the meantime, here are some other tips to help you overcome insomnia.
The BPD-Insomnia Connection
A growing body of research has found insomnia plays a role in heightening BPD-related behaviors and choices. When you haven’t slept, BPD will disrupt your relationships, your mood, and your sense of self even more. In some cases, insomnia escalates the more dangerous symptoms of BPD, e.g. substance abuse, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts.
Needless to say, intensifying such behaviors can be very risky. Here are a couple of other ways insomnia negatively impacts people with BPD:
Emotional Regulation
Life within a society requires us to regulate our emotions, to build trust and solid communication in our interactions with others. BPD makes emotional regulation much harder. Insomnia makes emotional regulation much harder. Together, it exacerbates the symptoms and creates a vicious cycle.
BPD insomnia often stems from strong, overwhelming emotions that can make it even harder to sleep. Then, you’re upset and your mood is more variable because of lack of sleep. And then it goes around again. And again.
Paranoia, Insomnia, and Borderline Personality Disorder
When people with BPD get sufficient rest, their tendency toward paranoia lessens. When insomnia enters the picture, paranoia increases. So do relationship problems, self-harm, and the likelihood of attempting suicide. Yet again, a self-feeding cycle is formed.
Obviously, managing sleep disorders in people with BPD is a particularly urgent task. One of the most successful approaches toward this end has been dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT).
How DBT for Sleep Can Help People With Insomnia and Borderline Personality Disorder
DBT, a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), is used to treat many mental health conditions. It can be particularly useful for BPD. The “dialectical” part involves fusing two elements—acceptance and change. As a result, DBT can teach people to:
- Be more mindful (live in the moment).
- Improve relationships.
- Develop healthy coping mechanisms for stressful situations.
- Regulate their emotions.
It’s not hard to see how essential skills like this could enhance one’s sleep; it’s easier to rest when you’re less worried, feel more secure, and are able to cope constructively.
At Suffolk DBT, your DBT therapist will help you manage BPD by creating a mindful bedtime routine that can facilitate healthier sleep patterns. This may include:
- Getting to bed at roughly the same time every evening.
- Rising at roughly the same time every morning.
- Preparing your bedroom as you like it (e.g. many people focus on noise levels, light levels, and temperature).
- Paying close attention to what you eat and before bedtime and the timing of such meals.
Some specific sleep-related DBT exercises include:
Some specific sleep-related DBT exercises include:Mental Awareness
Racing and intrusive thoughts can hamper anyone’s sleep habits. If you notice thoughts keeping you awake, bring all your awareness to those thoughts. Identify and label them. But, most of all, observe them without trying to change them in any way.
DBT mindfulness skills can help when you’re dealing with insomnia and borderline personality disorder. You may find that with mindfulness, a thought is just as fleeting as a sound or a sensation, making it easier to sleep.
Physical Awareness
Think about one body part at a time. Focus your energy to relax that spot and then move on. Bit by bit, allow your entire frame to relax and move into a sleep-friendly state. This muscle relaxation teaches your mind that it’s safe to sleep.
Breathing Exercises for Insomnia and Borderline Personality Disorder
In many cases, the most successful breathing exercise involves counting (though you don’t have to rely on sheep!)
You may simply count each breath, slowly and calmly. Another option is to count the length of each inhale and then each exhale, seeing if you can make your exhale a little longer than your inhale.
These breathing exercises tell your body and mind that you’re safe and it’s time to rest.
Learn More and Get Started With DBT for Insomnia at Suffolk DBT
DBT therapy for borderline personality disorder can help you improve your insomnia. Like anything with a long name, dialectical behavioral therapy may seem complicated at first, but with guidance from your therapist you’ll quickly get the hang of it, and it can help you manage the your BPD symptoms.
If you’ve found yourself searching, “BPD therapist near me,” or “BPD specialist near me,” and you live in Manhattan, Suffolk County, or Nassau County, you’re in the right place. The borderline personality specialists at Suffolk DBT can help you navigate the struggles you face. Our team provides in-person and online DBT therapy for BPD. Let’s connect with a free consultation, so our intake specialists can answer your questions about this valuable treatment approach.
Suffolk DBT proudly provides quality dialectical behavior therapy, a form of cognitive behavioral therapy, at their offices in Manhattan and Long Island, New York and online. Their experienced therapists specialize in serving teens, children, adults, and college students struggling with depression, borderline personality disorder, eating disorders, and self-harm. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills and treatment can help you or your kids to manage emotions and work through life’s challenges. Suffolk DBT Manhattan and Long Island offer a free screening call so you can get started right away.