We’ve all read the endless studies on how sleep benefits the brain, immune system and overall mental health; but for many of us special needs parents, the laundry list of worry begins to “pile up” the moment we start to try to reap the benefits of a peaceful night of sleep.
I knew I might regret the little indulgence of a couple double chocolate brownies before bed, but after a long day of special needs parenting I felt I deserved a little treat as a respite from how challeging the day had been.
I savored the silence in the house just as much as I enjoyed each little bite of that brownie, but when I sat up with a jolt around 3am, I knew that my caffeine sensitivity had caught up with me.
The racing thoughts started as soon as my eyes opened, and regardless of my attempts at positive self talk; the worries that come to so many special needs parents started racing through my mind.
My daughter just turned 11 in December, and along with the start of puberty comes the reminder that she is getting older and harder to figure out in so many ways.
Regardless of the full time job containing all the planning, therapies, doctor visits and endless meetings; I ask myself if we are doing enough and the feeling of guilt overwhelms me. The truth of the matter is that little can be done at 3am, but try telling that to my racing mind.
After 15 minutes of various scenarios playing out in my head, I decided to prop myself up with pillows and take a 20 minute meditation.
As my breath and heart rate slowed down, so did my thoughts. I began to feel the stress chemicals lessen in my body and as I just stayed with my breath I slowly began to feel my parasympathetic nervous system doing its job of calming me down and reminding me that everything was OK in that moment.
As soon as my meditation was over, I drifted back to sleep and woke up feeling rested. Once again, my meditation practice saved the day and I felt an immense sense of gratitude that my daughter could have my full attention and love for the day.
It is my passion to share this practice with other special needs parents who also suffer from anxiety, PTSD and depression. Join our private Facebook support group with over 70 guided meditations, live videos and yoga videos by clicking here.
For more information on how meditation and deep relaxation affects brain chemistry, check out this scientific article by Psychology Today by clicking here.
