[Oana]

My problems with sleeping started 5 years ago. Stress and anxiety caused me an acute insomnia that lasted 2 months. I took some sleeping pills and went to a psychotherapist and finally recovered my sleep. But after that my sleep was not as before the insomnia. It was not restful, from time to time I had nights without sleep but on the whole I could cope with that.
At the end of October 2021 I was infected with Covid. Again the stress and anxiety caused my a bad insomnia I struggle with since than. I respect sleep hygiene, I go to Pilates 4 times/week, I took some natural supplements for sleeping and anxiety but I see almost no improvement.
After 3-4 nights with no sleep or superficial sleep (when I don’t know exactly if I slept or not, I feel I was awake the whole night but at the same time I remember having some sort of dreams), I sleep well 1 night and than this cycles begins again. And this is quite tiring.
I red about CBTI and 2 days ago, I starded to go to bed at 12 PM and get out of bed at 06:30. (Before I was going to bed at 11 and I got out of bed at 7-7:30 even if I wasn’t sleeping anymore from 5).
At 11 PM I start reading a book and soon I feel very sleepy, I can’t keep my eyes open. I go to bed but sometimes I just can’t fall asleep. I start to be worried about not being able to fall asleep and I can’t sleep.
If I wake up during the night and feel agitated, I get out of bed and start reading a book, untill I feel sleepy again. Sometimes this helps, sometimes not.
Now I feel more tired during the morning and the day.
My question would be how long does it take to sleep well again after starting CBTI?

[Scott]

Oana,

The speed at which someone restores their sleep differs from person to person and depends on several factors. I compare starting CBT-I to starting an exercise program – at first, you may find it difficult to remain committed, you’re tired, body is sore, and you’re uncertain that what you’re doing has any benefits. If you remain committed to the techniques, you’ll begin to see consistent results from them. Why do you think you feel anxious about falling to sleep and feel agitated when you wake during the night?

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.

[Oana]

I feel anxious about falling to sleep, because I fear I might not sleep. And if I wake during the night I feel agitated because I fear I won’t fall to sleep again. It’s a vicious circle…

[Scott]

The anxiety you’re experiencing is completely understandable. The good news is that we don’t forget how to sleep, just like we don’t forget how we breathe but we need to figure out how to better manage our thoughts. When we try to avoid or get rid of ruminating thoughts, it typically makes our arousal about our sleep issue worse. Since our thoughts about sleep are typically negative and unhelpful for an insomniac and since we can’t escape our unpleasant thoughts, have you considered changing your relationship with them? When you have an unhelpful/negative thought appear, simply tell your mind, “thank you for that thought” and redirect your attention to a desirable activity (watching tv, listening to podcast, doing the dishes, etc). This practice doesn’t eliminate ruminating thoughts from appearing – again, since we can’t stop them from coming – but it does create a better relationship with them when they visit. There’s no reason to engage in a debate with the thought, just let it arrive, acknowledge it and go about your business. Keep in mind that thoughts are simply that – just thoughts and they don’t really cause us any harm until we start believing in them. What is the absolute worst thing that could possibly happen to you a day after a poor night’s sleep or no sleep? You’ll probably be fatigued, that’s understandable, but you’ll be alive, productive at work and have the ability to engage in activities that improve the quality of your day.

Scott J

—

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]

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