[MPerea]

I have taken Martin’s classes and listened to nearly every one of his podcasts. I am so thankful to him and to this website. I know that I have made so much progress in these past 8 months, but two nights ago I encountered a setback and have had poor sleep since, and of course I am fearing more ahead.

I have learned so much about “what” is happening when I fall victim to insomnia. I wake up, am unable to get back to sleep and essentially my problem-solving brain tries to take over and fix it. When in actuality, it can’t.

So, the “how” is where I get stuck, it’s the damn acceptance component. Adding insult to injury when I’m completely wired due to lack of sleep, I can feel my brain working in overdrive and the need to solve/fix becomes so much stronger. So, here I sit, thoughts racing thinking about “how do I accept?” my situation.

Thank you for listening.
Marina

[Chee2308]

Thanks for sharing. Your insomnia will come to pass as before, like it always has. Maybe talking about it helps you feel better now, try not fall into the trap of obsessing over it.

Overcoming insomnia comes not from picking up a weapon preparing to fight it, but in putting it away and walking away quietly.

[sleep]

Dont you hate it when you have a bad night of sleep. It is like having a bad day, every thing going wrong. I guess we just have to not care. It does not do any good to care or worry about it. I know now sleep will come eventually and will come when ever it wants. I know this
sucks.

I also know I have had just a few nights over the past year that were not good. But when I quit worrying about it I get back on track quickly. Like so much in life there is nothing we can do about it. We just go enjoy our life and if we sleep we sleep and if we dont, it will come back eventually. When we dont let sleep control us we get better. I am going to have a good life and just sleep when I can. I think it is still a miracle I have slept so well this past year after 2 years of hell tossing and turning.

[MPerea]

Thank you so much to both of you for caring enough to respond. It means a lot to me. Your words are so wise, and I assure you I will not take them lightly.

Sincerely,
Marina Perea

[Martin Reed]

Hello Marina!

It’s so easy to get pulled back into a struggle. Your awareness of when that might be happening is a strength since it gives you the opportunity to respond differently.

When your brain goes into overdrive it can feel as though you need to solve and fix. And you get to decide whether or not you try to solve and fix (and how you try to solve and fix).

You know from experience what a workable response looks like and what an unworkable response looks like. You have the experience, wisdom, and expertise within you!

Acceptance isn’t something that’s required for sleep to happen. It’s something to work toward. And, ultimately, acceptance is about recognizing what’s in your control and what’s not in your control — because when you try to control what’s out of your control (sleep, thoughts, feelings) you only end up stuck in the quicksand!

—

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.

[Author]

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