4 Ways Low Self-esteem Messes With Your Sleep

We know low self-esteem messes with a lot of things... but very few people connect it to the sleepless nights they have on a regular basis. Many of these sleepless nights are caused by the thoughts and fears directly related to low self-esteem and self-confidence levels.

Below are 4 general areas that are likely to keep you up at night. See if you can place yourself in anyone of these categories. It could give you an idea of where you stand with your self-esteem. Some people experience these more frequently than others. The more often you are troubled by any of the categories below, the lower your self-esteem really is.

The first reason self-esteem makes you lose sleep is because of Over-thinking. Being up at night too worked up to be in bed while thinking of all the reasons you’re not good enough. Having regrets, calling yourself all sorts of names, all the while wishing you were quicker, better, and different. Remember that low self-esteem is a poor evaluation of you. So whenever you are stuck on beating yourself up mentally in the middle of the night, know that low self-esteem is at play.

The second reason self-esteem will make you lose sleep is because you’ll Fear The Future. Thinking and fearing of what you assume is about to happen and worrying if you won’t be skilled and capable enough to handle it. When you imagine potential scenarios and worry about the future, it’s because you have little trust in yourself that you’ll be able to get yourself out of whatever life may bring your way. This lack of trust is bound to interfere with your sleep. Whether it has to do with relationship worries, financial problems, or worries about your job, you can be sure it’s connected to low self-esteem and your fear of not being able to deal with what life will bring.

The third way low self-esteem affects you is that it’ll make you Toss and Turn With Embarrassment. Reliving the ‘embarrassing moments’ that occurred recently or in the distant past to the point that you either can’t fall asleep or wake up in the middle of the night to toss and turn till the wee hours of the morning. Most often it’s about your embarrassment others will judge you as weak, stupid, and incapable. These thoughts lead to poorer quality of sleep.

And the last way low self-esteem interferes with your sleep is the Rise in stress level. All of the scenarios above raise your cortisol levels (the stress hormone) that keeps you up, agitated, and alert. While your body is pumping out cortisol due to your thoughts cause by low self-esteem, your brain monitors how your body is feeling and feeds you more thoughts that match your body’s state of being. So, unless you consciously choose to change it, this becomes your normal way of being. And getting enough sleep becomes difficult.