You’ve had a long day, you’re desperate for sleep, yet your brain seems determined to carry on without you. Sophrologist Dominique Antiglio believes the answer may lie in breaking the cycle between stress and sleeplessness, rather than simply trying harder to nod off.
There are few things quite as frustrating as being completely exhausted and somehow still unable to sleep.
Your body has called it a day. Your mind, unfortunately, appears to have scheduled an additional meeting. Before you know it, you’re mentally revisiting conversations, rearranging tomorrow’s priorities and wondering why something as natural as sleeping suddenly requires so much effort.
For people caught between daytime stress and restless nights, the temptation is to become increasingly disciplined about bedtime. Earlier nights, stricter routines, perhaps a little more determination to switch off.
According to UK-based Sophrologist Dominique Antiglio, however, that determination can sometimes become part of the problem.
When Trying to Sleep Becomes Another Source of Stress
Antiglio, founder of the online Sophrology platform BeSophro, describes a relationship between stress and sleep that can leave people feeling trapped.
Stress makes it harder to settle at night, while another poor night’s sleep can leave you feeling less equipped to manage the pressures waiting the following morning.
The result is an unpleasant cycle in which sleep becomes something else to worry about.
“Many people respond to poor sleep by trying harder: earlier nights, stricter routines, more pressure to switch off,” says Dominique, who is also the founder of online Sophrology platform BeSophro. “But when the nervous system is still on alert, effort adds to the pressure. Sophrology works by helping the body and mind move out of the state, so that sleep can come more naturally.”
Her argument is that being physically tired doesn’t necessarily mean you’re mentally ready to sleep.
If your thoughts are racing and your body still feels tense, simply getting into bed earlier may not address what is keeping you awake.
It’s an important distinction, particularly for anyone who has found themselves treating bedtime like another task that needs completing successfully.
What Is Sophrology, and How Is It Supposed to Help?
Sophrology is a mind-body practice that combines controlled breathing, relaxation, gentle physical movements and visualisation.
Rather than focusing exclusively on what happens once your head reaches the pillow, the approach encourages people to become more aware of physical tension and mental stress, and to practise techniques intended to help them settle.
Antiglio advocates Sophrology as a way of helping people manage the heightened sense of alertness that can accompany stress.
The techniques are designed to be gentle and accessible, without demanding strenuous exercise or complicated equipment.
That doesn’t mean Sophrology should be regarded as a proven cure for insomnia. The information supplied about BeSophro’s programme does not establish how effective the approach is compared with established sleep treatments, or how long any benefits might last.
For people curious about relaxation-based approaches, however, the underlying idea is straightforward: work on feeling calmer rather than making falling asleep another performance target.
A Free Four-Day Challenge to Explore the Sleep-Stress Cycle
To introduce people to the approach, BeSophro is organising a free, four-day online Sleep Well Challenge, running from Monday 9 to Thursday 12 November 2026.
The programme includes a different theme each day, with guided exercises intended to address some of the difficulties that can accompany poor sleep.
