[NikkiB]

Hi everyone, I’m new to this forum but have been suffering with pretty bad insomnia since March 2020. It was triggered by extreme anxiety from the pandemic. I did get me head around the pandemic but unfortunately the anxiety transferred over to my insomnia and has stayed with me since.
I have been through periods of no sleep for days on end and have been taking sleeping pills intermittently for 7 months now. My sleep is all over the place and not only do I find it hard to fall asleep but I cannot seem to stay asleep once I have. This has impacted by life massively as I’m sure many of you can relate. It is definitely the main headline in my life and still has a firm grip over me. Its a lonely, miserable and frightening place to be hence joining this forum and connecting with others who understand this hellish experience.

[Scott]

Hi @NikkiB!

Welcome to the forum!

You’re probably not surprised to find out that you’re not alone. The pandemic has caused anxiety in some which has led to difficult night’s of sleep.

Worrying about sleep usually makes sleep more difficult which leads to even more anxiety the following day. Can you relate to this anxiety loop? Usually the best reaction to a difficult night of sleep is to not overreact to it since our thoughts about the situation perpetuates the issue. A main objective during the day is to build a strong sleep drive so that it becomes more prevalent than your anxiety towards sleep at bedtime. This can be accomplished by conducting some physical activity, avoiding daytime naps, consistently getting out of bed at the same time every morning, etc. Are you finding yourself changing your daytime routine to compensate for lack of sleep the previous night? If you improve the quality of your days, regardless of how you slept the night before, there’s usually less effort into trying to sleep at night.

Have you made any adjustments to your bedtime routine (began meditating, going to bed earlier, etc) since you started experiencing insomnia compared to the months prior to March? When we try new experiments in hopes it solves our sleep issue, it usually heightens our awareness of the issue causing more anxiety. If you’ve made life adjustments because of poor sleep, what do you think might happen if you reverted back to the behaviors you knew prior to experiencing insomnia?

Hope that helps.
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.

[NikkiB]

Hi Scott, thanks for the welcome and for all the suggestions. Yes I’m definitely in an anxiety loop with this and know how it’s perpetuating it. I have been trying the ACT approach for many months but I guess I’m still finding it hard to get to the acceptance part, which I know is a key turning point. I lost most of my work during the pandemic as a community musician and only have work one day a week so it definitely makes things harder. I have been trying to keep myself busy with projects and get out every day for longs walks. I spent the day Sunday hiking in the peak distinct hills with friends. It was an early start long drive and long day out. I was physically pooped. That night I went to sleep fairly quickly but woke 2 and half hours later unable to go back off. It’s very frustrating! I don’t nap during the day simply because no matter how tired I am, I can’t.
I was a meditator before the insomnia and I make sure I do this daily to give my body the relaxation it needs and a break from my mind. My anxiety is higher before bed and in bed so I have been using a relaxation track recently to focus on instead of my thoughts and this has been helping me to drift off to sleep but unfortunately I just can’t stay asleep very long.

Thanks again for your support
Nikki

[Scott]

@NikkiB – when I experienced insomnia, I researched and implemented ACT in hopes it’d be beneficial for my situation. I gained some traction with this therapy’s concepts but I just couldn’t get over the hump until I found cognitive and behavioral therapy for insomnia. Once I began applying these evidence-based techniques, I found my sleep vastly improving. Regardless of which technique you use, acceptance is key in experiencing progress, in my opinion. Although I don’t have insomnia any longer, I still have an occasional night of difficult sleep and may be fatigued the next day but the major difference between now and when I had insomnia is my reaction (or lack thereof) to it. It’s our reaction to the sleep disruption that can cause greater anxiety about sleep the following day making it even more difficult to sleep the next night.

What time do you usually go to bed at night and when do you get out of bed in the morning after awakening? It’s completely normal to have multiple awakenings during the night, but do you find yourself checking the time or begin to worry about falling back to sleep when you wake? Do you continue to lie in bed until morning or do you get out of bed and do something pleasant (watch tv, listen to a podcast, etc)?

Scott

—

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.

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