[richardow]

I have been taking zopiclone 7.5mg nightly for about 5 weeks (I did stop for 4 nights in the middle when I ‘fluked’ a goof night’s sleep), as well as trying to practice sleep hygiene and the beginning of stimulus reduction. Does anyone have experiece or knowledge of whether tapering and stopping sleeping tablets and engaging with cbti is possible at the same time? How would it work? I am very frightened about sleeplessness as I am suffering dioagnosed ptsd from recent medical trauma and going with no sleep, which has happened without zopiclone, has retraumatised me and given me panic attacks. Did anyone stop sleep meds during the process of doing cbti. How did it work? How did it go? Richard

[Martin Reed]

You can absolutely do both at the same time — I’ve worked with clients who have kept their medication the same while implementing changes, I’ve worked with clients who quit all medication before getting started, I’ve worked with clients who tapered-off while we worked together, I’ve worked with clients who didn’t make any medication changes until they felt ready to do so.

I don’t think it really matters at all — it’s a case of taking an approach that feels workable to you. And, of course, it’s important not to change your medication without talking to your doctor first!

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[richardow]

Thank you Martin. That is very helpful. I have been practising some stimulus control, and waiting until feeling sleepy before bed as well as just getting on with my life and enjoying myself as much as I can in the day. What I have noticed is that the sleeping tablet works much better if I practice stimulus control, calming down at night and getting on with my life and enjoying myself as much as possible during the day. I am also sleeping the whole time I am in bed, getting up by 8am every morning and not sleeping in the day. I think the next step for me is probably learning to accept and get used to wakefulness at night for when I wean off the zopiclone. In a sense how to learn to have a bad night without increasing the drama, fear and angst around the whole process. I am also making a lot of progress in healing my trauma memories with EMDR and that will help things along too I am sure. There is hope.

[Author]

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