The Tricky Emotion That Blocks The Deep Sleep We All Need

There is a critical missing piece that is impacting your sleep. If you've had any issues with sleep — short term, long term, or you've lived with it all your life — this may very well be what you need.

I have worked with many people who have had sleep issues. I've also talked to many others who are constantly trying different therapies, supplements, mattresses, pillows, tests, or trying a variety of other tactics. There's always something going on in this area for them. And, whether we like it or not, there are too many options out there.

What you may or may not realize is this: how safe you feel in your body is going to affect your ability and quality of your sleep.

Yes, "safety" is about more than just being protected from the elements or from becoming a victim of a crime — though, of course, those things matter to your sleep as well.

Safety is the most critical missing piece of this puzzle.

What causes the body to feel unsafe?

Here are a few examples of things you may not immediately connect with safety, but that may register with your body and mind as such:

• If you've had health challenges in your life
• If you've been in and out of ER
• If you've lived in an area that is unsafe
• If any of your loved ones have experienced unsafe situations
• If you've been in an accident that caused an injury
• If you've gone through any kind of abuse or trauma — physical, emotional, or energetic

All of these trigger a flight or fight response in the body. That simply means the body is afraid to just relax or let go. So, when the body is unable to wind down, you cannot have deep healthy sleep, no matter what you do.

RELATED: The Ideal Bedtime For Each Zodiac Sign

Now this might sound cliche, but everybody is stressed. There isn't anybody without stress. Unless this is addressed and processed at the emotional level, it causes a lot of unrest in our bodies.

If you're not feeling safe in your environment, it triggers a lot of anxiety and discomfort. Everything comes right back to feeling safe.

We all know how it feels during the day when we are sleep deprived. 

Here are a few signs you're sleep-deprived, even if you believe you're getting enough sleep:

• Our energy is up and down.
• Our moods are unpredictable.
• It constantly feels like it's one thing after the other.
• It's difficult to plan the day and stick to it.
• Fatigue hits at odd times.
• Health issues feel more difficult to manage.
• Pain gets worse every day.
• Work feels more stressful.
• Everything else seems to be controlling us.
• It feels like an emotional roller coaster and we feel like we're being tossed around.

RELATED: If You Only Need 5 Hours Of Sleep, It Might Be In Your Genes

The key to quality sleep is restoring that feeling of safety in the body and in the environment. This is the place to start working on a deeper level especially if you're dealing with a lot of health issues.

Take the time to address the root cause of what's happening because the moment the body starts to feel safe, you will immediately notice a difference in the quality of your sleep.

"What can I do to start feeling safer?" That may be your next question.

One of the easiest things you could do right now is grounding. Grounding helps us connect with the earth and bring in its healing frequencies into our bodies.

A few simple steps to help you feel safer:

• Take a nice deep breath and place your hands on your heart.
• Imagine a line going down through your body, through your feet, and all the way deep into the heart of the earth (this connects your heart to the heart of the earth).
• You may feel the energies or not— there is no right or wrong way.
• Trust that you are connected with the earth.
• Gently bring back those energies from the earth into your body.
• Accept the energy and let it flow.
• As you keep doing it, you will become more aware of these energies.
• You can do it as many times as possible during the day.

It will take you less than 5 minutes and the results will amaze you

RELATED: 3 Psychological Tips For Changing Your Panicked Fight-Flight-Freeze Instinct

Archanaa Shyam is an Intuitive Visionary Strategist and Catalyst who is a student of Shamanic Astrology. She is a medical intuitive, a master energy transmitter and channel and integrates all of these interests and talents into being a mentor and guide to clients. Find more of her work on her website Sovereignty Embodied.