gaaras always had issues with sleeping. unsurprisingly, given that as a child he was tormented by shukaku tormented him with, very real, threats of taking over his body if he were to ever sleep to long. as such he developed insomnia, staying awake as long as possible and sleeping as little as possible. given his impressive stamina and chakra reserves, this was not as detrimental as it could have been, but getting so little sleep, especially with barely any of it being genuinely restful, was definitely a contributing factor to his steady mental decline. being on longer missions with him was an immediate threat to anyone, given if he were to doze off, waking up often led to injuries and fatalities due to his hair trigger temper being even worse thanks to a paranoia from the threats of the one tail.
this improved somewhat after his change of heart, when he began to listen less to the impulses and threats of the beast. sleeping didn’t come any easier, but he was a little less afraid every time he woke up.
after the removal of shukaku him and sleep still have a tenuous relationship, simply because these habits he developed are incredibly difficult to change. gaara goes and goes and goes until he just can’t anymore. sleep still leaves him with a lingering sense of paranoia, even if he KNOWS he’s safe now, he can’t be controlled. it does get better with time, but he has difficulty getting rest, and generally just works until exhaustion makes him pass out pretty much. it’s not uncommon to find him asleep at his desk, or in a chair, or generally anywhere BUT his bed.
when he does sleep he tends to curl up very small, everything drawn in tight and almost defensive, sometimes with his arms over his head and he will drag covers over his head to feel secure almost like a mock sand cocoon bcus sleep has always made him feel extremely vulnerable.
