Insomnia after psychotherapy

Veronika, insomnia is a common side effect of certain types of psychotherapy. Therapy can bring up strong emotions and memories that may disrupt your sleep patterns. However, it’s important to note that these disturbances are usually temporary.

Insomnia may also be a sign that therapy is working, as the brain processes traumatic memories and emotions.

Side effect symptoms typically subside within a few days after therapy sessions.

But you can discuss this with your therapist. They can provide support and help you manage any discomfort associated with these symptoms.

Good morning, Veronica!

Insomnia after psychotherapy

Insomnia after therapy is not uncommon. It is usually associated with the intense integration of experiences, when repressed emotions and feelings gain the opportunity to emerge in a safe space.

I’d like to clarify right away: how long were you in therapy? And what was the focus of your request? The answers to these questions will help better understand the nature of your insomnia.

Since it ended, I’ve been having dreams that shake me to my core and seem to reprogram me.

It seems that the content of your unconscious has gained "freedom" and is now seeking ways to complete previously unfinished processes.

Could you please specify what kind of dreams you experience at night: nightmares, pursuits, or emotionally intense and unusual plots?
Do you feel palpitations, shortness of breath, or other physical symptoms before falling asleep or upon waking?

I feel like I wake up as a different person and deeply shaken.

Let’s clarify a few things. You mentioned waking up as a different person. What does that mean? What leaves you during sleep, and what new things emerge?
Do you notice what specifically triggers that deep sense of shock?

Because of this, I sleep poorly and lightly.

In other words, out of fear, you’re depriving yourself of a basic resource—sleep—and the opportunity to rest and recover.

How can I stop being afraid to sleep?

Ideally, working with a specialist (either the same one you were in therapy with or another you trust) would help. But you can also take some steps on your own. For example, 1-2 hours before bed, write down all your fears and worries on paper. Then tell yourself, "I’m leaving all of this on the paper until morning."

You can use progressive muscle relaxation techniques by Jacobson to transition into sleep. It’s easy to learn, and information is available online. This practice can help you relax and shift your focus.

Additionally, in the morning, give yourself time to process the night’s impressions with respect for them. Don’t rush into your daily tasks. You might try drawing the dream images or writing a short essay about them.

If your efforts don’t help normalize your sleep within 2-3 weeks and fatigue significantly interferes with your day, it may be worth consulting a doctor—a psychiatrist or psychotherapist.

Hello. I agree with the comments from my colleagues above—bad dreams and nightmares during or after therapy are not uncommon. What’s more important to focus on is the content of the dreams themselves and recording them. Without going into depth, simply observing from a distance what you’re dreaming about can help reduce the mental tension that both triggers and is triggered by the dreams. In simpler terms, consider what experiences, memories, fantasies, or images are so insistently reminding you of themselves.

This phenomenon may also pass on its own over time, but the question is how long it will take. If nothing changes within a couple of weeks, it’s better to approach working on the sleep issue more thoroughly—with a psychologist or therapist, or, as mentioned above, a psychiatrist if the symptoms worsen.

Good afternoon! In psychotherapy, there’s a concept called 'therapeutic deterioration'—this refers to the emergence of negative, difficult, or anxiety-inducing experiences in the client during (or after) therapy. These may manifest as nightmares or insomnia. It seems your therapy may not yet be over. Therapeutic deterioration is a very consistent and productive stage of psychotherapy. It brings up important material, often repressed and unconscious, which allows the psychologist to work thoroughly and effectively with your concerns and adjust their approach based on your deterioration.

Listen to your colleagues’ advice and continue therapy. Ending therapy abruptly is a very poor decision.

Rarely, but it can happen that a psychotherapist (professional and effective) simply isn’t the right fit for you. In that case, it’s worth trying to work with another specialist.