[Serpico]

Hello Everyone,

I have been struggling with insomnia for about 4 years. I am currently 34 years old, male. I have done an overnight sleep clinic, I spent several months working with a sleep physician on CBT and have learned a tremendous amounts on the many facets of insomnia, the do’s and don’ts etc. I heard about ACT (i think that is the right acronym on Reed’s pod cast with another sleep psychiatrist. I definitely agree that it is important to go through CBT first and reach a certain understanding and acceptance before moving onto the ACT technique. I think i have been following the basics of ACT but want to gather more information on it. any info would help.
Second, I’ll start with my current status after a lot of hard work i am off sleeping medication (which is very important to me) but i still at best only sleep about 12:00 to 6:00 and probably less than that more regularly. my main problem is that i have not been able to get beyond this sleep ceiling, I do not feel normal during the day and certainly can tell i need more sleep. My main question which is why i am reaching out to all of you is the chest pain/shortness of breath that i have had for an extended period of time (i’d say over a year) I would describe it as more often than not having a heavy heart beat- it is more noticeable than it should be and not because i am hyper vigilent. I often am short of breath as well. do others have these as ongoing symptoms? any suggestions?

[Jonathan618]

I get chest muscle pain all the time for what appears to be no reason. What I figured out is that when I get anxiety I involuntarily breath into my chest and that is not how we are supposed to breathe. Those muscles tire easily and turn into pain to tightness then anxiety and short of breath. Its a vicious cycle. We are supposed to breath through the belly. It is called Diaphragmatic breathing. look it up on YouTube and practice it. After much practice things will improve. Hope that helps.

[Steve]

If you are interested in learning more about ACT, I suggest you get The Sleep Book by Dr. Dan Meadows. It is relatively inexpensive and a quick read. Dr. Meadows is the one who came up with this system. If you have any specific questions, go to the thread ACT for Insomnia here in the forum. We will be happy to answer any questions that you may have.

[Martin Reed]

Welcome to the forum, Serpico.

If you are experiencing chest pain or shortness of breath then you should seek medical advice. If your doctor finds nothing wrong, this could be a sign of physiological arousal (which is quite common among people with chronic insomnia) — but you should talk to your doctor first.

You mentioned that your current sleep window is 12:00 AM to 6:00 AM. On a typical night, how many hours of sleep are you getting?

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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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