[Jemz1987]

Bit of a long story but my sleep issues started when i had a suspected viral infection after christmas. I ended up with sever leg tremors – my legs were shaking like crazy at night thus disrupting my sleep. I was still able to sleep somewhat though. I was then put on amitriptyline for the leg tremors which are also supposed to help u sleep. I experienced the opposite. Although it helped the leg shaking, my sleep was disrupted – couldnt get to sleep, was seeing images when shutting my eyes, felt like a zombie in the day etc. My sis in law (who worked with patients on the same tablets) said its a horrible drug and can mess people up – said my symptoms were similar to what her patients had described on it. So after 5 days i stopped taking them. Thankfully the leg tremors have stopped.

However my sleep is screwed up! Some nights i feel like ive slept 20mins only. Some i manage maybe 2 hours. This has been going on for 12 days now and im exhausted. I have trouble falling asleep now as well as staying asleep. I feel like i have got myself in a cycle of worrying about sleep, therefore i cant sleep. Its becoming a struggle and my emotions/moods are all over the place. Ive been off work 2 weeks as i am in a physically demanding profession that requires me to function cognitively, and look out for others safety, but on small amounts of sleep i have no clue how i am going to do it.

I used to be someone who could watch tv or play a game or be on their phone until 11pm or later and quite happily snuggle down in bed and fall asleep without issue. But now i am trying to adapt various methods to help me sleep again e.g. lavender, dim lighting, blue light blocking glasses, settling into bed at say 9-10pm with a book or a crossword till i feel sleepy etc. My nights are very random. For some reason day before last i felt sleepy, turned everything off and slept! I woke up at least twice but went back to sleep. I felt like a new person. But last night i didnt sleep much at all despite doing similar things.

Not sure where to turn next and i am very reluctant to start taking sleeping tablets

[Martin Reed]

Welcome to the forum. Worry and anxiety about sleep are perhaps the biggest causes of insomnia, but the good news is these issues can be addressed. The sooner you tackle this head-on, the easier it is to rediscover sleep. Have you looked into cognitive and behavioral techniques for improving sleep? CBT is widely recognized as the best first-line treatment for insomnia. It is likely the best option for you because it tackles the thoughts (cognitive) and behaviors (behavioral) obstacles that are interfering with your sleep (my advanced sleep training course uses CBT techniques to improve sleep and graduates get great results).

You do not need to resort to sleeping pills. Sleeping pills do not cure insomnia – they often just sedate you. They may be helpful for the short-term, but should never be relied upon as a long-term solution. Try to focus on the positive aspects of your sleep rather than the negative – for example, think about the night when you managed to fall asleep more often than the nights when sleep is difficult. Don't put pressure on yourself to sleep. When you go to bed, tell yourself that you're simply going to relax and see what happens.

—

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.

[Jemz1987]

Thankyou for your reply Martin. To be honest when i go to bed i dont start thinking about sleep. My mind is clear as far as im aware. I do tend to see what happens. But when i wake up again, thats when it starts rolling into my mind. Last night i put an audio book on with an hours timer. I fell asleep at some point but woke again as it just finished, so i knew i had been asleep only a short time. I then struggled to sleep and woke my other half to quietly talk and get some frustration off my chest (he's ok with me waking him) and then had two short sleeps after. I didnt wake feeling refreshed at all and i am going back to work tomorrow

I understand i need to try and chill out about it but its really hard to do 🙁

[Martin Reed]

Again, what you describe is quite normal. Many people with sleep issues find they can fall asleep OK, but when they wake during the night they feel it's almost impossible to fall back to sleep. This is where those cognitive and behavioral techniques can really help.

—

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.

[Jemz1987]

Ive also heard about people using acceptance therapy instead of CBT. Ive seen that both have had pretty good results with individuals. Whats the difference between the two?

[Martin Reed]

Acceptance therapy can certainly be helpful since it helps prevent overreactions to negative thoughts and feelings. CBT tends to have a number of additional components that not only help address (and prevent) the negative thoughts and feelings associated with insomnia, but also teach you behavioral changes you can make that will improve your sleep.

I don't think the two options should be seen as competing or even seperate options. Both are helpful and both can improve sleep. Here's a good study that investigates mindfulness, acceptance, and cognitive and behavioral techniques:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3466342/

A couple of takeaways from that study:

“It has been suggested elsewhere that mindfulness and acceptance-based approaches are compatible with CBT and should be considered under the family of CBT rather than a new wave of treatments”

“There is overlap between these two approaches and studies comparing the differences between MCTI (mindfulness and acceptance-based therapies) and CBTI can aid in further specifying the common and unique elements. It is unclear if MCTIs should be delivered independent of other techniques or if they can be combined or integrated with existing approaches”

I hope this helps!

—

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.

[Jemz1987]

Im trying to do a bit of mindfulness/meditation at the mo to try and help. I guess that takes time and practice.

Im honestly scared of the sheer lack of sleep im getting particularly when its days in a row. Im on day 3 of maybe 2hrs sleeo each night. I struggled to work today and have a massive headache i cant seem to shift.

Everyone suggests trying thinks like herbal remedies, and antihistamines but im so reluctant to use anything that i shouldnt. But i feel desperate now 🙁

[Martin Reed]

Mindfulness definitely takes a lot of practice but it's worth persevering with. Don't give up – I have worked with people who have suffered from insomnia for years (decades, even) and they have managed to improve their sleep.

—

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.

[Jemz1987]

I do find it quite relaxing just listening to someone talk me through it. Is it best to do it just before getting into bed?

Last night i got to sleep really quickly as i was exhausted but i woke at least 5 times throughout 8 hours. I find during each “sleep session” im dreaming so im not sure if this is a good or bad thing as i know the brain is active during dreaming. I do have a sleep cycle tracker which u leave in your side and it tracks your sleep based on breathing/movement, but not sure how accurate it is

[Martin Reed]

Are you referring to mindfulness sessions? They're typically done whenever needed – if you need help calming the mind and returning your focus inwards when you go to bed at night, then give them a try then.

I don't like sleep trackers – particularly when people with sleep disturbances use them because I think they can make sleep worse. You can read more about my thoughts on this subject here:

https://www.healthcentral.com/article/the-dangers-of-using-sleep-trackers-for-insomnia-and-other-sleep-disorders

—

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.

[Jemz1987]

Yes i meant the mindfulness sessions. Im going to take up yoga (as im too tired to get to the gym) so hoping that will be good for me too

To be honest ive never thought sleep trackers were that accurate anyway. Wasnt sure if it was worth doing incase i had to see my doctor and give them a record of my nights, but as i said ive never believed them to be that accurate

[Martin Reed]

You seem to be exploring a lot of options. Any reason why you haven't given CBT a try?

—

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.

[Jemz1987]

Its because i was an avid gym goer but i dont have the energy at the moment. So figured yoga will still be a good way to keep fit just in a different way to what im used to.

I think CBT is my next step. Going to see how the next few nights go

[Martin Reed]

I'm a big believer in yoga as a tool for improving sleep. Good luck with it!

—

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]

Posts