[Maxine]

Hi, I’m just wondering how everyone is doing especially how long it’s taken anyone who sleeps better after finding out the cause of our insomnia?
I found out about 6 months ago and have listened to many videos over this time on you tube..I now know I caused the insomnia and my sleep efforts ie..medication/herbal/reflexology/hypnosis/accupunture etc were doing me no good and have stopped all that..I used to have panic attacks/hypnic jerks/adrenalin/anxiety rushing through my body etc at night which has all pretty much calmed down thankfully and I know that’s a way for better sleep to happen but there must still be some hyperarousal etc as I’ve not had a full night’s sleep on those 6 months..I do take a sleeping pill which I only get 3 hours sleep from and I’d say in the last month I have started to get a few hours natural sleep which is massive progress for me as I never used to get any without a sleeping pill but the last 2 weeks I get a few hours natural sleep one night then absolutely none the next and it’s really getting me down..I’m ok being awake at night thankfully now but the fatigue and low mood the next day is quite hard although I try to stay strong..I am grateful for how far I have come and do tell myself I’m on my way out of this insomnia struggle but doubts do creep in as it seems to be taking so long although I’m trying to be patient..I was wondering how long it has taken people from finding out what caused our insomnia/getting the education on it to it actually making a big difference in their sleep..I know everyone’s journey is different but I suppose I just would like to hear that it’s taken people longer than 6 months and they’ve made a full recovery..I understand the recovery is not just about getting more sleep but how we deal with being awake etc I feel totally ok when I’m lying awake and very calm now but still little sleep and the nights when I do I get an hour then waken then maybe another hour then waken then awake for a couple then another hours sleep..I’m hoping I’m on the right road and my progress so far shows this but need some reassurance of people who’ve experienced the same and are sleeping better now
Thank you

[hiker]

Hi Maxine, it sounds like you are really going through it.

For me, one of the biggest struggles over insomnia was seeing it as a problem I could solve—the same way I can organize all my gear to go on a backpacking trip. Something you have to do, or you run the risk of being 20 miles from the car, out of water and no idea where the next creek is. You can remedy this problem ahead of time by studying maps, talking to rangers, and calculating distances and your rate of speed.

Unfortunately insomnia doesn’t work that way. The “solutions” sound like trite platitudes: just don’t worry, let go of expectations ……

It does come down to letting go, much the same as a little kid who just conks out and goes to sleep. He doesn’t have a strategy.

Great, but right now I can’t sleep, how am I supposed to get through the next day? For me, it came down to realizing I am not going to sleep great every night. I would prefer to, but I know that if I don’t, I can make it anyway.

I do try to give myself a break the day(s) after poor sleep. I acknowledge that I might be prone to getting irritable; that I could have more trouble concentrating; that maybe I don’t have to take on that huge project today.

Over time, I learned that anxiety about whether I will sleep tonight can pop into my head at any moment, I used to think this meant “I am not going to sleep well tonight. Who knows, maybe never….I can’t handle this…..I wish I was dead.” Okay, sometimes I still go down that path a little bit, but for the most part now it is more like: “Okay, I am having an anxious thought about not sleeping well tonight. And I am having the thought that this means I am doomed to poor sleep for who knows how long …….” But observing these thoughts just drifting through my head, without buying into them.

It can be tricky not buying into these thoughts when you are really tired. But knowing that, when I am in fact tired, I can usually not take thoughts so seriously. I know my thinking is distorted.

Well, there you go. I hope that helps, but either way, please keep reading other people’s posts, and check out Martin’s emails and podcasts. And his course goes into a lot more detail.

Take care, Maxine. There are lots of us dealing with insomnia. You are not alone in this by a long shot.

[Maxine]

Thanks so much for your reply..its just so difficult but yeah I suppose I do put too much emphasis on how much sleep I’ve had and when all this will be over, I will try to let go more..it really affects my mood sometimes, the last couple of days I’ve felt really down?.its just so hard to get through each day as you and many others will know but yeah I’m hanging onto when will I come out of this too much..thank you and I hope you get better sleep soon

[Author]

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