Can’t Sleep? It’s Not Just in Your Head (It’s in Your Nervous System)

Nat Creasy
Sep 22
4 min read

Nat lying on green grass, arms outstretched and smiling, wearing a black top and patterned skirt. Bright, sunny day. Relaxed mood.

Inside Nat's Notebook - Real Reflections for Real Change

You’re exhausted, but your brain didn’t get the memo.

It’s 3:03 a.m. and you’re still having imaginary arguments with your boss, mentally rewriting an email, or replaying a comment from dinner that made you feel... off.

You tell yourself, “I just need more discipline and to go to bed earlier.”

But what if the truth is this:

You’re not undisciplined. You’re dysregulated.

The Mirror Moment: What Finally Hit Me at 3am

Back when I was deep in my burnout, what I now call “The Bedridden Phase,” sleep was not my friend.

I ached for it. Craved it. Begged for it.

But it just... never showed up.

And then one fateful morning, in that strange space where everything is dark and silent—yet your brain is LOUD—I had a lightning bolt moment.

There I was, my body was bone-tired, but my brain? On a caffeine bender without the caffeine.

I’d done everything “right”:

✨ No screens after 9

✨ Lavender oil

✨ Some bloke whispering to me about clouds

…Still. Wide. Awake.

And then it landed.

No one had ever said this to me before, but it was the missing piece:

Sleep isn’t something you do. It’s something your nervous system allows, but only when it feels safe enough to let go.

Why Your Brain Won’t Shut Up (Even When You’re Exhausted)

So many of us treat insomnia like a character flaw:

✖️ You need better sleep hygiene

✖️ You’re doing something wrong

✖️ Just try harder

But high-functioning exhaustion isn’t solved by melatonin and chamomile tea. It’s a nervous system that’s still in performance mode, even after the curtains are closed and the jarmies are on.

This isn’t about sleep. It’s about rest.

And most of us? We’ve forgotten how to do that.

The Geeky Bit (Science with good amount of Soul)

Here’s what’s happening under the hood:

Your nervous system is always scanning for safety. It doesn’t care about your to-do list, your morning alarm, or your sleep goals.

It cares about:

🧡 Unprocessed stress

🧡 Emotional tension

🧡 That inner pressure to be okay when you’re anything but

If your system doesn’t feel safe, it holds the brakes on rest.

That’s the sympathetic branch of your autonomic nervous system in action.

It’s not broken, it’s doing its job. Protection, not relaxation.

To shift out of that loop, your system needs cues of safety: Slow breath, gentle movement, soothing sensory input.

Not a lecture from your Inner Critic. Not another “perfect” routine. And definitely not a checklist of bubble baths, magnesium, and essential oils (though yes, I love them too, they just don’t work alone).

What you need is a bridge out of hyperarousal.

A soft one. One that says,

“It’s okay to let go now.”

THIS is Where Bed Yoga Comes In

It was in those dark, overwhelming nights that Bed Yoga found me.

I created it on a day when getting to the mat felt impossible, but I knew I needed something. Something to help my body feel safe. Something that wasn’t demanding more from me.

So I tried gentle, soft movement, in bed, with pillows. And something shifted.

The tension started to melt. My breath got deeper. My mind softened.

I began sleeping again, not because I was “better,” but because my nervous system felt held.

Even now, I still practice it. Tucked under a blanket, cocooned like a bug in a rug, drifting into Yoga Nidra, ah yes Yoga Nidra, think of it as Heaven on a Pillow (we will talk about this more another time), basically, it actually prepares the body for sleep.

So Yoga in Bed and Yoga Nidra become rather like hot chocolate and cream or butter and hot toast, they simply are perfect together!

And if your brain is rolling its eyes right now?

Your body is probably whispering: “Hell yes. We want that.”

#RebelMoment

You’re not bad at sleeping. Your body just hasn’t been given permission to rest.

So if your nights are filled with frustration, shame, or scrolling…

Pause, consider this:

What if sleep isn’t a skill to master? But a relationship to rebuild?

One exhale at a time. One pillow under the knees. One kind whisper instead of a critique.

Rest isn’t a reward. It’s your right.

And if you need a gentle guide back to that truth, know this: I’m here, under the covers, breathing with you.

If Bed Yoga sounds like the kind of rebellion your body is begging for, join me. It’s not a fix. It’s a homecoming.

Tuesday Evenings 830pm(UK)

https://little-soul-shack.heymarvelous.com/calendar

I look forward to sharing this with you, see you there

LoveLove

Nat x

Exhausted but still brilliant? You bet you are.

Want some no-fluff, all-heart nervous system goodness popping into your inbox? ➔ Subscribe to Inside Nat’s Notebook, tea and giggles included. [Subscribe]

Are you ready to call time on tired? ➔ Book a FREE Reset Chat. Tea, biscuits, you, me and a little nervous system magic. [Chat with Nat]

It’s lighter on the other side, I promise. 🧡

Nat smiling in a black top and patterned skirt sits between tree trunks in a lush green area with palm trees, exuding joy and relaxation.

Inside Nat's Notebook - Real Reflections for Real Change

You’re exhausted, but your brain didn’t get the memo.

It’s 3:03 a.m. and you’re still having imaginary arguments with your boss, mentally rewriting an email, or replaying a comment from dinner that made you feel... off.

You tell yourself, “I just need more discipline and to go to bed earlier.”

But what if the truth is this:

You’re not undisciplined. You’re dysregulated.

The Mirror Moment: What Finally Hit Me at 3am

Back when I was deep in my burnout, what I now call “The Bedridden Phase,” sleep was not my friend.

I ached for it. Craved it. Begged for it.

But it just... never showed up.

And then one fateful morning, in that strange space where everything is dark and silent—yet your brain is LOUD—I had a lightning bolt moment.

There I was, my body was bone-tired, but my brain? On a caffeine bender without the caffeine.

I’d done everything “right”:

✨ No screens after 9

✨ Lavender oil

✨ Some bloke whispering to me about clouds

…Still. Wide. Awake.

And then it landed.

No one had ever said this to me before, but it was the missing piece:

Sleep isn’t something you do. It’s something your nervous system allows, but only when it feels safe enough to let go.

Why Your Brain Won’t Shut Up (Even When You’re Exhausted)

So many of us treat insomnia like a character flaw:

✖️ You need better sleep hygiene

✖️ You’re doing something wrong

✖️ Just try harder

But high-functioning exhaustion isn’t solved by melatonin and chamomile tea. It’s a nervous system that’s still in performance mode, even after the curtains are closed and the jarmies are on.

This isn’t about sleep. It’s about rest.

And most of us? We’ve forgotten how to do that.

The Geeky Bit (Science with good amount of Soul)

Here’s what’s happening under the hood:

Your nervous system is always scanning for safety. It doesn’t care about your to-do list, your morning alarm, or your sleep goals.

It cares about:

🧡 Unprocessed stress

🧡 Emotional tension

🧡 That inner pressure to be okay when you’re anything but

If your system doesn’t feel safe, it holds the brakes on rest.

That’s the sympathetic branch of your autonomic nervous system in action.

It’s not broken, it’s doing its job. Protection, not relaxation.

To shift out of that loop, your system needs cues of safety: Slow breath, gentle movement, soothing sensory input.

Not a lecture from your Inner Critic. Not another “perfect” routine. And definitely not a checklist of bubble baths, magnesium, and essential oils (though yes, I love them too, they just don’t work alone).

What you need is a bridge out of hyperarousal.

A soft one. One that says,

“It’s okay to let go now.”

THIS is Where Bed Yoga Comes In

It was in those dark, overwhelming nights that Bed Yoga found me.

I created it on a day when getting to the mat felt impossible, but I knew I needed something. Something to help my body feel safe. Something that wasn’t demanding more from me.

So I tried gentle, soft movement, in bed, with pillows. And something shifted.

The tension started to melt. My breath got deeper. My mind softened.

I began sleeping again, not because I was “better,” but because my nervous system felt held.

Even now, I still practice it. Tucked under a blanket, cocooned like a bug in a rug, drifting into Yoga Nidra, ah yes Yoga Nidra, think of it as Heaven on a Pillow (we will talk about this more another time), basically, it actually prepares the body for sleep.

So Yoga in Bed and Yoga Nidra become rather like hot chocolate and cream or butter and hot toast, they simply are perfect together!

And if your brain is rolling its eyes right now?

Your body is probably whispering: “Hell yes. We want that.”

#RebelMoment

You’re not bad at sleeping. Your body just hasn’t been given permission to rest.

So if your nights are filled with frustration, shame, or scrolling…

Pause, consider this:

What if sleep isn’t a skill to master? But a relationship to rebuild?

One exhale at a time. One pillow under the knees. One kind whisper instead of a critique.

Rest isn’t a reward. It’s your right.

And if you need a gentle guide back to that truth, know this: I’m here, under the covers, breathing with you.

If Bed Yoga sounds like the kind of rebellion your body is begging for, join me. It’s not a fix. It’s a homecoming.

Tuesday Evenings 830pm(UK)

https://little-soul-shack.heymarvelous.com/calendar

I look forward to sharing this with you, see you there

LoveLove

Nat x

Exhausted but still brilliant? You bet you are.

Want some no-fluff, all-heart nervous system goodness popping into your inbox? ➔ Subscribe to Inside Nat’s Notebook, tea and giggles included. [Subscribe]

Are you ready to call time on tired? ➔ Book a FREE Reset Chat. Tea, biscuits, you, me and a little nervous system magic. [Chat with Nat]

It’s lighter on the other side, I promise. 🧡

Comments