Your coaching guide to a peaceful night’s rest and Sleep Science Academy founder, Devin Burke, answers a common question regarding insomnia; Is Insomnia it genetic?
The answer to this question is more complex.
When We Come into the World
At birth, we arrive with something we inherit from our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. That something is our chronotype, our unique chronology.
What does this mean?
There are certain people genetically predisposed to staying up later or getting up earlier. They could be the classic night owl or the morning lark.
Dr. Michael Bruce identifies his animals for classification, the lion, the wolf, the bear, and the dolphin. The dolphins are the troubled sleepers.
So, we do have a genetic chronology that presets our unique circadian rhythm as far as the ideal time to go to bed and wake up, which is inherited.
Can You Inherit Insomnia?
Most people don’t realize the thing they inherit that creates insomnia is not necessarily genetic; it’s a belief system and set of behaviors.
Let me explain; if your mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother all had sleeping issues, there are certain things they were doing or not doing that they may pass on to you.
They may pass on the belief that you are a terrible sleeper and will never sleep because they didn’t sleep. It may be a trauma they pass on or poor stress management. It could be a lot of things as far as thoughts and beliefs, which then have you believing the same exact thing as them.
It is essential to understand this reality because so many of our clients and the people I work with frequently hold the belief that their sleep challenge is genetic, a dangerous belief.
Why Is This Belief Dangerous?
To begin with, this is not true. Secondly, if you believe this to be true, it puts you in a state of helplessness. And, in that state, no change is possible.
You are in a place of resignation, adding more stress and anxiety, which paradoxically, keeps you up.
Final Thoughts
We inherit our chronology; each arrives in the world with a different chronotype. But, if people in your family have insomnia, their belief systems and behaviors and not genetics cause it.
Understanding and accepting these realities is essential for fixing insomnia. Identifying your chronotype can be helpful in making the best decisions regarding your sleep routine and schedule.
At Sleep Science Academy, we help clients through the challenges we speak of here and much more. Our highly-successful Dynamic Sleep Recalibration (DSR) program is the most comprehensive, effective, and individualized natural insomnia remedy anywhere.
By employing multiple methods and techniques, including CBT-I (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia), mindfulness practices, NLP, and more, your personal certified sleep coach can craft a treatment plan for your specific needs and situation.
Contact us today and schedule your complimentary sleep consultation with one of our professional sleep coaches, and discover the Sleep Science Academy difference for a lifetime of peaceful, restorative sleep.