You cannot fall asleep, you wake during the night, or you get up tired even though you slept. Sleep problems are often connected to thoughts and feelings that have no room during the day and speak up at night. Psychoanalytic work is not only looking for a way to fall asleep, but for an understanding of what keeps you awake.

How sleep problems show up

Sleep problems have many faces: difficulty falling asleep, waking in the middle of the night, waking too early, shallow sleep, anxious thoughts while lying down, or nightmares. Many people spend the night dealing with what they pushed aside during the day: worries, guilt, anger or loss. When it is quiet all around, these feelings are no longer easy to ignore. If the problems keep returning, it does not mean you are not trying hard enough, but that their message has not yet been understood.

A psychoanalytic view of sleep problems

Sleep is a time when conscious defences relax. That is why what we keep at a distance during the day can come closer at night. Psychoanalysis understands sleep and dreams as important messages from the psyche, and restless sleep and nightmares as a sign that something is searching for a way into awareness.

For some people insomnia is also a defence against letting go: against trust, against the loss of control that sleep requires. When we understand what we fear at night, our relationship to sleep can change.

Dreams and nightmares

Dreams are not random images but part of the work the psyche does at night: processing the day's impressions, old worries and what has not found words. Nightmares and recurring dreams are often a sign that an experience is still seeking a way to be felt and understood. In therapy I do not interpret dreams from a book of symbols; we explore them together with your associations, feelings and the story they belong to.

The body first

Sleep problems can also have physical causes, for example breathing disorders during sleep, pain, or side effects of certain medications. If the problems are new, severe or seem unusual to you, please consult your doctor first. Psychotherapy can complement medical care but does not replace it.

When to seek help

An occasional bad night is normal. It makes sense to seek help if sleep problems last for several weeks, affect your day, mood, work or relationships, or if you dread the evening and the bed. The same goes for when anxiety, sadness or a feeling that sleep will not mend itself accompany them, whatever you try.

Psychotherapy for sleep problems in practice

In practice, we explore when the problems began and what was happening in your life then, what speaks up in your thoughts or body in the evening and at night, and what cannot be said in your relationships today. It often turns out that the sleep problem is not isolated but part of a wider story.

How I work with sleep problems

With sleep problems I am not only looking for advice on sleep hygiene, but listening to what the night brings you. Therapy takes place weekly, in Ljubljana or online. Sleep often settles over time once what disturbed it can be understood and put into words, but I cannot guarantee an outcome.

What to expect

At the start we agree on three introductory sessions (45–50 minutes each), in which you see how I work and how we connect. We then agree on regular weekly sessions, in Ljubljana or online. A session costs €80. You can book by phone, WhatsApp or e-mail; see the Booking page for more.

Help with sleep problems in Ljubljana

I offer psychoanalytic psychotherapy for sleep problems in Ljubljana or online (by video call). At the beginning we agree on three introductory sessions (45–50 minutes each), in which you see how I work and whether psychoanalytic psychotherapy suits you. After that we agree on regular weekly sessions.

If you find it hard to fall asleep, wake up at night or sleep restlessly, we can explore together what keeps you awake at night.

More about how psychotherapy works and how to book an appointment.

Frequently asked questions about sleep problems

Does psychotherapy help with sleep problems?

Psychoanalytic psychotherapy for sleep problems does not look only for a way to ease the difficulty, but for an understanding of what it is communicating. I work with the causes of distress and not only with the distress as expressed. Once we find the cause, and during the psychotherapeutic process, symptoms often ease or disappear.

How long does psychotherapy for sleep problems take?

Duration is individual and depends on the therapeutic goal and on how long the difficulties have been present. Psychoanalytic psychotherapy can last from a few months to a few years. One session lasts 45 to 50 minutes; usually once a week, and by arrangement sometimes several times a week.

Does psychotherapy replace seeing a doctor about insomnia?

No. If sleep problems drag on or affect your health, it makes sense to consult a doctor as well. Psychotherapy can be an additional help in understanding what keeps you awake at night.