[Hannahhs1231]

Hello,
I have had insomnia for about 9 months and ever since, I have had terrible anxiety about getting sick while dealing with insomnia. Will my sleep drive be stronger if I am sick even if I am struggling with anxiety and insomnia? The longest i have gone is 2 nights in a row without sleep. I’m so scared of getting sick and not being able to sleep then dying because I couldn’t rest…

Please I really need some reassurance!! i have 3 kids so im around constant germs…

• This topic was modified 1 years, 1 months ago by Hannahhs1231.

[Chee2308]

Hello Hannah!

Welcome to this forum. I used to think like you too, because of the common perception that good sleep strengthens the immune system and helps the body fight germs and disease right? Unfortunately, holding on to such thinking is not helpful and can often make it worse! So yes while rest helps you recover, you should slowly let go and take it lightly. Your best sleep happens when you don’t pressurized yourself too much! For now, change your thinking from sleeping to resting, meaning you don’t have to sleep, but resting in bed or quiet place is already sufficient for your body to recover when you get ill. The sleep will happen naturally, just don’t push it. And yes, getting sick means your body will naturally get fatigued easily and you will feel like not wanting to do much except lie in bed because your limbs hurt and you will naturally limit your movement anyways. Think of it like hunger, when you don’t eat for long enough, you will eventually get hungry after sometime so getting worried or upset just because you don’t feel hungry now is futile. Good luck to you.

[Martin Reed]

It makes complete sense that you’d feel scared of getting sick and not being able to sleep then dying — that’s your brain doing its job of looking out for you. It’s always going to generate the “worst possible outcome” stories in order to get your attention!

You might very well get sick while dealing with insomnia — you might get a cold, for example. However, there’s no evidence that insomnia causes any sickness or any health problem whatsoever.

Furthermore, as you have experienced for yourself, sleep always happens in the end. The longer we are awake, the more likely sleep is to happen.

And, it’s also possible to still be a good parent — even with insomnia and even in the presence of difficult thoughts and feelings. So, please try to be kind to yourself, too.

—

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.

[Hannahhs1231]

Is it possible to overcome a sickness like the flu or covid while dealing with insomnia and hardly able to sleep? Is there anything biologically that happens to help up be able to get better even if we are having insomnia? Or does sleep drive just override everything and we fall alseep? I am afraid that my hyper arousal is so strong that it will just keep me awake, even if I am sick… 😭 Sorry, i know i have a lot of questions…. Im just very fearful of this…

[Martin Reed]

Yes, it’s possible to overcome a sickness like the flu or covid while dealing with insomnia.

Insomnia isn’t really a sleep problem since people with insomnia still sleep and haven’t lost their biological ability to sleep.

Really, insomnia is a struggle problem — the more we struggle with sleep (and the thoughts and feelings that often show up when we are struggling with sleep), the more difficult everything can become.

Even if someone is living with the worst insomnia imaginable, their body will still generate — at the very least — the minimum amount of sleep it needs.

—

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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