Welcome to the Trauma Recovery Institute Resource Center
Whether you're trying to understand how trauma affects the brain, exploring EMDR therapy, or deciding whether an EMDR intensive may be right for you, these evidence-informed trauma recovery articles are designed to help you make informed decisions about trauma healing.
How to Calm Your Nervous System After Trauma
Many people believe trauma only affects someone immediately after a frightening or overwhelming experience.
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Why You Can’t Sleep After Trauma (And How to Calm Your Nervous System)
You have probably heard that better sleep habits will fix this. Consistent bedtime. No caffeine after noon. Screens off an hour before bed. That advice is not wrong for people whose sleep problems are primarily behavioral or environmental. But if your sleep disruption is rooted in trauma-related hyperarousal or unprocessed threat responses, sleep hygiene alone is often not enough. Reviews of PTSD and sleep show that trauma-related sleep problems are maintained by deeper neurobiological and psychological processes than habits alone can address (Lancel et al., 2021). If the problem lives in the nervous system, better habits may improve the environment without resolving what is driving…