Sleeping After the Loss of a Partner

After the death of a spouse or long-term partner, it may be hard to sleep in your bed without your partner beside you. It is common for us to feel like we can’t sleep well without them beside us. The bed feels empty. General lack of sleep, alertness, or insomnia can be side effects of the loss of a close loved one, especially a partner.

Feeling Alone

When a spouse dies, it is common for the widow(er) to feel isolated and depressed. Especially in elderly couples, where social interaction with others can often be limited, the loss of a partner can cause them to become or feel isolated from the rest of the world. 

Sleeping With Grief

Grief affects everybody differently. Sleep patterns are often disrupted or changed by grief. Some people experience a lack of sleep, and others feel more tired and can even sleep more. Changes in sleep patterns are often due to unresolved feelings or overthinking.

Getting Some Rest

As with all forms of grief, everyone recovers from it differently. But when it comes to sleep problems, clearing your mind and trying to relax will often help more than other symptoms of grief. Taking a bath, journaling your feelings, or speaking with a therapist, grief counsellor, or other professional. You may want to consider joining a support group.

It’s Normal to Feel Grief

Don’t forget that grief is still a normal human emotion. It is OK to feel grief. Grief is an emotion that affects us all at different times, and in different ways. Understand that grief is an important part of the mourning process, and there is no exact length of time that you should feel grief.

The author of this post is not a professional therapist or counselor. For assistance in finding a grief counselor that is right for you, there are a number of resources out there. For our Grief Resource center, written by Dr. Bill Webster, click here. 

For almost 50 years, Matthew Funeral Home has been serving the Staten Island community. We can help with almost every aspect of your loved one’s memorial service. Our family is here to serve yours, every step of the way.