[shansolo]

Hi all,
First and foremost, I have found this forum so incredible helpful in so many ways and appreciate everyone’s contributions and encouragement. This is my first post as I am approaching night 2 of sleep restriction. Last night went okay and feel myself a little more calm/less depressed then I have been the last few weeks. What brought me here is a long history of intermittent insomnia, usually that builds 1x/week for several weeks and then goes on overdrive usually tied to mounting anxiety and obsession over not sleeping. This time around I thought I kicked it with a good restorative night’s sleep but it went right back to insomnia after a few good nights. I have a lot of trauma and anxiety with not sleeping which is why I think I obsess all day which leads to that panic/adrenaline right before I start falling asleep. I guess my questions are:

– do others feel this panic sensation before falling asleep like adrenaline in overdrive?
– is this most likely caused by the obsession/thinking/worries about sleep throughout the day?
– have people been able to conquer this before with sleep restriction or any other tactic?

I just really hope this subsides as the body reaction is so strong no matter how sleepy I am, its really tough when its aroused. Its also so crummy that I yearn/dream of the day of going back to “normal” and yet the desire/need I think also is fueling the adrenaline. Appreciate any response and encouragement here as I am really emotional over not sleeping well 🙁

[MelH89]

Yes, I have had this. Each time I struggle it gets easier to beat because I recognize that my thoughts are causing this. The trick is to keep living your normal lifestyle. For me, when I feel anxious or a bit depressed, I have sleep issues, or if I’m off work and not tiring myself out (lying around and sleeping in). You need to understand that this WILL get better. CBT-I does help. I’ve made sooo much progress just by listening to Martin’s podcasts. I have never taken his course but I might in the future. For me, I’m so used to being on the go that I go a little stir crazy when there’s nothing to do. Talking to a psychologist helps as well but I highly recommend CBT-I.

[Boylston]

What you describe is classic and I suspect experienced by many. I have found a few things very helpful. Before bedtime, begin journaling your thoughts/worries in a notebook, writing statements like “I am noticing that I am having this fear and feeling of not being able to sleep” and literally write down “….and now that I am documenting these feelings, I am leaving them on this page.” This helps me reduce the fears and feelings, putting the feelings on the page and leaving them there instead of in my head. I have read also that once you write these things down, you rip up the piece of paper and throw it away. Whichever technique works for you. After this, I spend at least 30 minutes winding down—reading or doing puzzles, mostly in front of the tv. I have settled on doing crossword puzzles—the point is to relax before bed. Once I get into bed, I employ the 4-7-8 breathing technique to fall asleep, which btw, should be a 10-20 minute process. When I was working, I would fall asleep immediately and was freaking out when it took longer for me to settle down. I later read that taking longer is most ‘normal’ and desirable. Finally, throughout the day I practice progressive muscle relaxation (Martin’s course has several audio files for learning to do this but the technique is also available on the web.) IF I am having trouble relaxing in bed, I use this technique and usually find that I am not/my muscles are not relaxed at all! Remember, the point of all of these tips is to RELAX not sleep…the sleep will likely follow. One other experience I have had, is that the ‘recovery’ is a process. It takes some time to get back to some regular rhythms of sleep SO being patient and kind to yourself is key. I hope this helps!

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