So after 6 nights of very bad sleep (and about 3 years of recurring insomnia), I finally said to myself ‘enough is enough’ and took to Goggle once more to try to find some answers, if not that elusive cure. That’s when I stumbled across your YouTube videos and proceeded to binge-watch most of them in one evening. I was delighted to find so much relevant and useful information in one place without, to put it bluntly, having to part with any cash (which I’ve done so readily in the past out of sheer desperation) and sadly since COVID there seems to have been an explosion of ‘therapists’ and ‘coaches’ all looking to jump on the gravy train.
Anyway, I’m now on Day 3 of the email course so still very early days! Over the years I’ve read many books and articles on the subject of insomnia; I’d already taken on board the concept of accepting insomnia and carrying on with my life as best I can (so as not to give it any more power than it already has) and always practise good sleep hygiene. However, some additional points you make have already made a big impact – These include the fact that:
• My body will take the minimum amount of sleep it needs so, just like it will heal a wound, all I have to do is let it get on with it – This takes the responsibility away from me, giving me one less thing to worry about, and also explains why I can still function after so many disrupted nights.
• Chronic insomnia is not the same as sleep deprivation – Never read this before!
• I’m not doing untold damage to my body by not sleeping – Always feared a premature demise.
• If you give too much space the next day to thoughts of being too tired to cope it almost becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy – Far better to see such thoughts as logs passing along a river; acknowledge them but don’t jump on one to be swept along (okay that last bit was my own analogy so I hope I’ve got that right).
• Fatigue is not the same as sleepiness – This explains why I can feel exhausted but still not sleep.
Also love the explanations on Hypnic Jerks which I suffer from. Plus reading the comments from other people I realise that I’m not alone no matter how lonely I feel in the middle of the night.
So far I’ve been spending much less time in bed and also getting up to read downstairs as soon as I feel fidgety, something I’ve never done before, and it appears to be working.
Thanks again Martin – I’ve already learned so much! I will let you know how I’m progressing when I’m further into the course.