[hturley]

I got struck by chronic insomnia in March 2016 after a very savage break up, my life completely turned upside down and with the anxiety of that, came horrendous sleeping problems. I didn’t sleep an hour some nights and genuinely thought I was heading to an early grave. I spent a lot of the time on the phone crying to my mum and feeling constantly jaded and in pain from lack of sleep. I had trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, waking up early.. all of the problems relating to sleep, I had them! I tried every tip, practiced sleep hygiene, purchased a ton of books, went to hypnotherapy, took countless medications.. you name it, I tried it.

In October this year I was in a very bad place with it all and so I decided to take a week off of work and do nothing, I hated the thought of taking time off to not do anything but I was completely exhausted and on the edge, and running out of options. I spent my time going to sleep when I felt like it, taking trips to the gym, doing chores, watching films, seeing my parents.. it was the best thing I ever did. Since that week (minus 1 or 2 blips) I have been sleeping 8 hours a night which hasn’t happened in over two years. I didn’t have the pressure of getting up in the morning to get to work or rushing to an appointment or attending an event with friends.. I simply just relaxed and unwound and simply re-set my body clock. After trying everything, I can’t believe this has actually helped. It’s the best decision I’ve made since March 2016. Sleep problems are all in the mind, I could take two sleeping pills and stay awake all night. What keeps you awake is your anxieties and worries, which need to be eliminated. If you are close to the edge and running out of options, I urge you to just try and have a week off and make no plans and focus on you.

Hannah

[xime03]

Hannah,

It feels so good to start the day reading such a motivated story. I feel so happy for you!

Cheers because the nightmare is over 🙂

Regards,

Ximena

P.S: I will be writing a happy story like yours soon. My hope continuous…

[Martin Reed]

Hello Hannah and thank you for sharing your positive story. I am sorry to hear about your breakup in 2016 — that must have been very difficult and it is not surprising that this has a negative impact on your sleep.

Sometimes, the way we think our capability to perform at our absolute best the next day is a key component of sleep-related anxiety. For example, we may worry that if we don’t sleep well, we won’t do well at work. This can then catastrophize into thoughts such as, if I don’t perform well at work I will lose my job. If I lose my job, I will lose my home. If I lose my home, I will be living on the streets (I am not saying this was the case with you, I just want to illustrate the power our thoughts have on our sleep).

Catastrophization is very common. If we have thoughts like this (for example, that the ultimate endpoint of our sleep problems is something as dramatic as homelessness) it’s little wonder that we find sleep so difficult and riddled with anxiety — because we are associating how well we sleep with such a dramatic outcome.

In reality, a night of bad sleep is not going to lead to homelessness. It will make the day more difficult, but at the same time there will probably still be positive moments in the day and there may even be some moments of fun, too. In other words, how we perform the next day (and how our day goes overall) isn’t always dependent on how well we sleep.

Sometimes simply adjusting the way we think can be just as effective as taking a sabbatical.

Thank you for sharing your experience — I am so happy that you have found relief and that your sleep has improved. Long may it continue!

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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.

[SergioRenato7]

Hi Hannah,

You say insomnia was caused by anxiety which was caused by a troubled period. I developed insomnia from anxiety caused by trauma as well. I sleep every day but wake up multiple times a night, and every time I wake up I awake from a vivid long dream. I was wondering whether your insomnia was characterized by this as well?

[Author]

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