[Wipeput]

hi I am new to this forum and been suffering with insomnia for many years but has gotten worse in last year or so. I go to bed tired but as soon as I lay down I’m wide awake . I can take a couple of hours to drop off to sleep and am constantly exhausted during the day. How have other members overcome this problem please.

[MARTA]

Hi,

From my own experiments it will never go away. I tried all different treatments and the only what helps me are Antidepresant.

It’s sickness and no chemical treatment to heal insomnia has been found yet.

Please try to stay positive and discuss with you GP all options.

 

[elcid]

Read Sasha Stephens book The Effortless Sleep Method. Nearly all cases are learned behavior. The good news is you can unlearn them too. The body wants to sleep. Sleep restriction sounds awful, but it isn’t as bad  as I thought it would be. The first nights sucked, but I started to be so sleepy by the 4th night that I slept 4.5 hours without any medication for the first time in 10 years. I am now averaging 5.5 to 6 a night in the 4th week of the 8 week program. Don’t listen to the naysayers because you don’t know what they do every night. You’ll project their bad experiences on you and you will get anxiety from the belief that this will last forever. I now find my bed a comfortable place and look forward to getting into it. Read my post ” You Can Do It” for some encouragement.

[jillyrunpee]

Please, please help me figure out how to get through the sleep restriction nights. It is brutal.

 

[Martin Reed]

Insomnia can go away, and sleep can improve. The fact of the matter is, sleep is a normal biological process — much like breathing. We can hold our breath for a few moments, but after a while, the body will take over and force us to start breathing again.

In a similar way, our mind (and behaviors) can stop us from sleeping — but, after a while, the body will take over and force us to sleep again. I don’t recommend trying this, but if you actually try to stay awake for seven days straight, you will find it very difficult since the body will eventually force you to sleep.

Insomnia is often caused by the arousal or ‘fight or flight’ system making it hard to fall asleep and stay asleep. However, by implementing the right techniques (such as those found in evidence-based cognitive and behavioral treatments for insomnia), we weaken the arousal system and this once again tips the scale in favor of the body’s natural ability to sleep.

I have worked with clients who struggled with insomnia for decades. But, with the right techniques, and with a lot of commitment and dedication, they were able to improve their sleep within a couple of months.

It’s important to emphasize that you never lose the ability to sleep. You can recover the ability to sleep. You do not need to rely on long-term sleeping pill use to get sleep.

Jilly — I would suggest you start a new topic about coping with sleep restriction nights. These should actually be relatively straight-forward to follow since you are allotting a similar amount of time for sleep as you actually spend asleep. Perhaps you are thinking of stimulus control, which involves getting out of bed when you can’t 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.

[Author]

Posts