[reneegavin]

Sorry for all of the questions, but I’m looking for all of the advice I can get.  I think one of the hardest parts of not sleeping well for me is the fact that I worry about it all the time and can’t even enjoy planning and attending things that I greatly enjoy when I’m sleeping well.  When my husband, daughter or friends want to plan something on the weekend, instead of getting excited and fulling enjoying it like I used to, I worry if I will get home in time to be able to get up at 6:30am.  I try to get all settled with my amber glasses like 2 hours before sleep, and I feel like summer, which I love is going to slip right away and I am going to be an anxious, worrying mess!

I know this was triggered by hormones, and then exacerbated by a new great job that I got which I’m placing WAY too much importance on.  While I was at my easy go nowhere job, I slept like a baby.  I get panicky now when I can’t sleep, because I’m worried about not being well rested and able to learn and perform well.  I don’t want to be stuck at crappy jobs because of this, and I certainly don’t want this to continue for as long as I have this position!  I’ve been here for over 2 months, and haven’t slept well in about the same time.

Ugh, has anyone had success in just getting it out of their heads?

[SpringDays]

Hello! I also suffer from insomnia. It’s been almost a year now. At first I did not worry, I only took prescription medication and sleep every night. For almost a month, my sleep has become more severe, and I only sleep for 2 hours a night. The sleepless nights make it hard to focus on other things in life that normally make me happy, I spend a lot of time preparing for sleep and worrying if I’m asleep, I’m even afraid the evening came. But then one day I told myself to give up this thought, which is not easy and even though I still think about insomnia. I did not think about it as much as before, I was not worried when it came to bed and when I went to sleep. What I did was: I write (something I like), go out more often and write diaries every night. I realized that just as long as I had a good night’s sleep, I would not worry the next day and would not worry that I would sleep better the next day. I have not really regained normal sleep yet, but I think I am doing well and limiting too much anxiety to sleep.

[Martin Reed]

Worrying about sleep is extremely common — as are behaviors such as cancelling social events and becoming more introverted. Unfortunately, these defensive behaviors can actually make sleep worse so they are best avoided! In fact, research suggests that maintaining a good social life can help prevent insomnia from turning into depression.

SpringDays has some good suggestions. Recognizing that thoughts can’t change outcomes can be very helpful since it helps us realize that negative thinking and worry doesn’t serve any positive purpose. Writing diaries or keeping ‘worry journals’ can also be very helpful, as can a relaxing pre-bedtime routine.

—

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.

[Mark88]

Hello, you’re not alone and I’m dealing with the same issue and I’m having trouble stopping my thoughts about not sleeping, which of course creates anxiety and creates a vicious cycle. I’m still practicing but every time these thoughts start I’m trying to immediately think of something positive (how great of a family I have, my job is good, even something as simple as the weather being nice) and then I also tell myself that I’ll survive perfectly fine if I don’t sleep as much as I’d like so stop worrying. I remind myself that I’ve done it before and I can do it again.

I know it’s easier said than done but I wish you well and hopefully you’ll overcome this.

[Author]

Posts