[Anne-Claire France]

Hello All, I am one month since graduating from Martin’s 8 week course. I had struggled with insomnia for several years, thought I had “fixed” it by using trazodone for 3 years but then it stopped working in June 2020. After doing some research, I decided to rediscover my natural ability to sleep knowing it would take time and commitment. So I went to a sleep therapist for a few sessions, worked with what she taught me for a couple of months, realized improving sleep is not a linear process and that it is normal to experience steps forward and steps back. However, happily I ultimately discovered I could sleep but it was going to require I let go of old habits and unrealistic expectations while developing new skills and habits. To do this I needed a “coach” to help me develop skills that would promote (not control!) sleep.

I checked out Martin’s videos and podcasts and then enrolled in his course late November/early December 2020; early on I experienced the importance of building sleep drive while simultaneously reducing arousal. An early breakthrough was being able to clearly differentiate feeling tired from being sleepy. After all those years on trazodone, evidently I had forgotten what actually feeling sleepy was like. So, having a clear signal for sleep drive was a lovely accomplishment.

Managing my arousal level was going to require more mindfulness (I have always been an over achiever so taking a “calmer” approach was a big change). Therefore, I combined Martin’s relaxation techniques and mindfulness exercises with additional information provided by Guy Meadows’ “The Sleep Book“. I learned that managing arousal is not something one does only when sleep is desired but a way one approaches life 24 hours a day. This entails altering your mind’s approach to daily challenges in such a way that it does not get aroused by that stuff but simply accepts them as part of life. An extra benefit is that not only does this promote sleep, in combination with building sleep drive, but it really helps in mitigating overall stress and reactions to stressful situations. A big test lately was the arctic blast that hit my home state (TX) where we went without water and power/heat for several days; despite it being a traumatic experience, during it all my attitude was of acceptance (which is very different than resignation!), gratitude, and clear headedness which allowed us to get creative to manage not only our situation but be helpful to others.

So! Martin’s approach in combination with my commitment and patience has resulted in improving from sleeping 0-2 hours per night to reliably sleeping 5.5-6.5 hours which I have learned is enough sleep for me, so I am fine with that amount. However, I fully expect that I will be able to add some extra hours over time as my new habits and skills PROMOTE sleep. The goal is to have a healthy life; thus sleep to live rather than live to sleep.

[Chee2308]

Hello Anne-Claire
What an excellent insight and so very inspiring. Insomnia isn’t always a bad thing, if anyone is willing to look at it from another angle, not only do you get over it, it also teaches you some very important things about life in general. Things like acceptance, letting go of control, patience, perseverance and ultimately, compassion not only toward oneself but also toward others. Keep on inspiring!

[Scott]

Hi Anne!

What an inspiring success story that outlines many of the lessons and techniques for overcoming insomnia. So glad to hear you’re achieving great sleep now and thanks again for sharing your story along with valuable tips for others to read.

Scott J

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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.

[Mayra2021]

Hello Anne, Congrats on staying committed to the program and thank you so much for sharing your inspiring story. Love all the tips. I’m on day #5 of sleep restriction and it’s been hard. But knowing with a few tweaks and determination anything is possible. I’ll be reading your story over again when I need more motivation.

[Jaran]

Wonderful and inspiring story. Thank you!

[Author]

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