[Loulou]

I have had great sleep for years, I could fall asleep anytime and still sleep all night. For some reason after Christmas break I was off regular sleep schedule going to bed later than usual and sleeping in. Then “bam” it hit me when vacation was over. I didn’t sleep at all on Monday and couldn’t go back to work. I went to a doctor and he seemed very uncaring gave me Trazadone and sent me on my way. It helped me get some sleep but I felt hung over in the morning. So I quit taking it and barely an hour or two of sleep all week. I need some positive support! Thanks!

[delv-x]

I used to be able to sleep in, nap when I felt like it and still go to bed and sleep through the night. As for some reason why you can’t sleep. There may not be a reason but you may want to look at if there were any changes such as new stress.

Your body knows how to sleep. It has been doing so ever since you were both. You never forget how to sleep and it’s as natural as breathing.

CBT-I is the way to go. You can either do it online though here or Sleepio. You can also find someone local who is trained in CBT-I. It is the recommended first line treatment to insomnia.

Hope you get back on track!

[Loulou]

Thank you for your response. It got so bad 3 days no sleep I was feeling light headed and blurry vision. I went to my local ER. I was prescribed a low dose of Xanax 0.5mg to get me through the weekend. It was a lifesaver. I took one before bed and slept from 10pm until 8am. The doctor wants me to make an appointment with my GYN (as I am recently going through surgical menopause) check my hormones. And maybe some CBT with a therapist. So happy to finally find a doctor who was supportive and cared and not trying to give me an antidepressant and send me on my way! I’ve had a great day of mountain bike riding! Hoping to get this figured out and back to my life and sleeping without any meds!

[Loulou]

Oh, I also listened to the meditation tapes , I think I fell asleep to them. The ones from UCLA that someone posted on here. Also, only using my room to sleep and no earlier than 10pm. You guys truly helped me too!

[Deb]

Make sure your CBT therapist is trained in CBT-I, which is specifically for insomnia. Otherwise, you’ll probably be wasting your time. CBT-I is very specific and probably most therapists have never even heard of it. I know I didn’t. Since I don’t live in a large city, I figured I probably wouldn’t even find a CBT-I therapist here, so I looked online where I found this website and hired Martin. I’m finally starting to get better.

I slept like a baby for many years, being able to take sleep for granted. Then the insomnia hit last October when I was going through the stress of healing from a surgery. Before I knew it, the insomnia started taking over my life. Very scary. For the first couple months I tried different things like pills, relaxation CDs, hypnotism, sleeping in different rooms, etc., but nothing was working. Finally I realized that insomnia is a learned condition, where we learn to associate going to bed with anxiety. So insomnia needs to be unlearned and CBT-I focuses on this. Get the treatment soon, because the more time goes by, the more the anxiety and fears associated with bedtime and sleep are strengthening, and the harder it is to recover.

Here’s a couple good books to help you understand what’s going on and to give you hope for recovery:

The Effortless Sleep Method by Sasha Stephens

End the Insomnia Struggle by Colleen Ehrnstrom

[Martin Reed]

How are you getting on now, LouLou?

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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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