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Hi all! My insomnia started more than 10 years ago due to job stress (which created many issues for me). Unfortunately, I didn’t know better and didn’t leave the job for many more years and I didn’t seek any help for my insomnia. Other than doing a few google searches which didn’t help, I simply suffered with it and chronic insomnia became my new normal for a long long time. I never had a problem falling asleep but I’d often wake up in the middle of the night and be awake for hours. There were many nights where I’d only get 3 or so hours of sleep. I’m thankful I crossed paths with Martin and took his course.
I started seeing improvements after the first couple weeks. The first thing that helped was realizing that I didn’t need to get 8 or more hours of sleep a night, so that took some pressure off of my mind. The concepts and techniques I learned really helped. In particular, since I worry a lot and will mentally beat myself up, I’ve found that writing out my worries and what I could or couldn’t do about them to be helpful at night. One challenge for me is to actually remember to write them out.
Also, starting the habits of waking up and getting out of bed at about the same time each morning and avoiding the temptation of taking naps has helped me a lot as well. And listening to the audio relaxation techniques really helps when I do occasionally wake up in the middle of the night. I’ve come to really appreciate the breathing and muscle tense/relaxation techniques. I used to not do them because I didn’t want to do the work. But since I’ve started they really help me relax and then fall back to sleep.
My sleep isn’t perfect but it’s a lot better than it was and I feel a lot better during the day. I look back and wonder how could I have been OK living with insomnia for so long without getting real help but I am proof that it can be turned around even after many years of suffering. I hope hearing about my struggles and more recent success helps anyone reading this and I hope you are able to find more peace and rest at night.
Brett
Thank you so much for coming back to share an update, Brett! When you consider the challenge of waking during the night and finding it hard to fall back to sleep, do you think there were any specific techniques that were most helpful for that specific issue or do you think all the techniques you shared were equally helpful?
—If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Mastery program.
The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.
Sure. When awakening at night, I’ve found that getting out of bed, going to another room, and listening to the relaxation exercises has helped a lot. It gets my mind off of whatever had woken me up and avoids laying awake for too long in bed. Also, not looking at the clock or unplugging it has helped. Even beforehand, I’ve found that the more I can address any stressors of the day before falling asleep makes it less likely I’ll wake up in the middle of the night, or if I do, to fall back to sleep faster. Relaxing (avoiding social media, internet, etc) leading up to bed time and the exercise of writing about the things that could wake me up and making a to-do list earlier in the evening have helped also.
I’ve found that stopping drinking fluids earlier in the night has cut down on the frequency of awakening to use the bathroom, which can then sometimes lead to my mind getting going and causing a longer awake-spell at night. I just drink more water earlier in the day.
I don’t want to sound like I’ve totally overcome this because I still have some nights where I’ll wake up but these things have helped to minimize it or cut down on frequency. Hope this helps.
Thanks for the additional information — I am sure people will find it really helpful! I’m also grateful that you mentioned there are still some nights where you wake — because that’s normal and to be expected! What’s important is our perception of that wakefulness — how we react to it. Just as each day isn’t always great, each night isn’t always great, either. That’s just a part of life!
—If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Mastery program.
The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.
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