[valiesm]

Here I am after another night of sleeping less than 3 hours but I am fine and happy because at least I woke up at my designated time of 5:30.
I am ready to finally try CBT-I all the way.

My problems with insomnia started in August 2019. I was heavily stressed. Financial pressure, job insecurity, pending apartment change, no daycare spot after apartment change and to top it all of I was on a strict diet and working out a lot. To get me even more exhausted after visiting my parents on across the Atlantic my baby did not sleep well anymore waking me up a lot.
Finally my immune system gave out and I got pneumonia which also gave me anxiety. Ever since then the struggle has been constant. Sick all the time and the beautiful sleep I enjoyed for 30 years has vanished. I guess it is anxiety/ stress related. In the meantime most stress factors have dissipated and I am still not sleeping well and catch every cold the little one brings home.

In September I tried CBT-I and it improved my sleep where for the past two months I was getting 4-6 hours of constant sleep. My problem was that I always awoke before the alarm and I was afraid to restrict as much as I should have. I managed to fall asleep at 10 PM on most nights but always woke around 3:30 to 4:30 instead of 5:30. Some nights though I don’t sleep at all.

Now I had a crazy Christmas with the move to the new apartment and NYE hasn’t helped with the sleeping in a hotel and not being disciplined to get up at 5:30.

So here I am back at square one with an sporadic sleep time of around 4.5 to 5 hours currently. This time though I am determined to restrict as much as needed (min 5.5 hours I read) and see if I can wake up at the alarm. Until now I always went for at most 6.5 hours or more and while it improved I never managed to wake up consistently as I ALWAYS woke up before the alarm. Until summer the average sleep I was getting when I slept well was between 7.5 and 8.5 hours depending on the month as calculated by my tracker. Now I do not wear a tracker anymore to not look at clock during night.

Sorry for the rant but I feel like sharing. Finger’s crossed for the next few weeks as I will get serious with a small sleeping window and consistent wake up times.

[Martin Reed]

I don’t think you’re back at square one — you are much farther ahead than that because you know from experience that cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) techniques are helpful and that with consistent implementation, they will help you improve your sleep!

I’m really encouraged that you aren’t using a fitness tracker to monitor your sleep — these can really fuel sleep-related worry and anxiety, and actually make sleep more difficult!

How are you getting on since you posted? Have you been able to stick to that appropriate sleep window and consistent out of bed time?

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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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