[Cosmic]

Hi, I have been experiencing this for almost 2 weeks now. At first, it began when a task came up that excites my mind until I can’t fall asleep later than usual. Then, suddenly the next day I had an activity that starts pretty much in the morning so I had to wake up earlier than usual. But, since I got a good long sleep the day before (even though it’s late), I struggle to sleep at that moment and the clock kept ticking until the wake time approaches, and this I believe to be the beginning of my sleep anxiety (I finally dozed off for 3 hours only and during the sleep my mind kept rushing me with random thoughts).

After 2 days, I forced myself to fall asleep in the afternoon to pay my sleep debt and to check whether my problem has disappeared, and it worked, I can fell asleep for 2-3 days straight for 7 hours without waking up (For me it’s still strange, bcs usually I can get 8-10 hrs of sleep if I am feeling amazingly tired in that particular day). I feel very grateful, my anxiety I believed has been cured, and then right at that moment I started to doubt myself again and bam! another insomnia. This time the insomnia felt weirder.

It already lasts for 1 week now (the second wave). Yesterday I managed to fall asleep for 7 hours straight (it’s a good sleep as in I don’t feel anything during that sleep and by the time I woke up 7 hours has passed, and I believe I can sleep more if there was no public gardener that suddenly turned on their loud engine sound). I feel refreshed for a few hours and that I felt tired again and very often yawning, I thought this is because of all the lack of sleep combined from last week. Today (last night), I tried to sleep again with the same method as yesterday, but it didn’t work. I felt sleepy and tired, but everytime I can feel that I am starting to fall asleep, I feel there is something small yet strong that prevents me from entering deep sleep. As soon as I felt relaxed and my mind started to fly away from my consciousness a “notification message” always appeared that sounds like, “Oh, now you can fall asleep” as soon as the “notification” popped up I just can’t let myself to keep sleeping. This repeats for many many times, and I finally I spent 10 hours trying to sleep today and I can’t even get even a small amount of deep sleep. If I ignore that “message”, soon a numb sensation will come. At the moment, I feel quite refreshed since I was laying in bed for 10 hours getting some light sleep.

Can you see the difference between the first insomnia and the second insomnia? The first insomnia is caused by my own anxiety (My body suddenly felt hot, heart palpitation, and sweating), and the second one is generally caused by something unusual (something I haven’t experienced before, I feel completely relaxed and I feel the environment is comfortable enough for me to sleep, yet I can’t be asleep). I believe I already calmed my anxiety down a lot better than the previous week, but my insomnia persists.

Thank you in advance, and I’m sorry if this is a bit too long, I’m just trying to be as precise as possible so I can get rid of this fast, because exams are coming in 1 week and I definitely need a good rest

[Martin Reed]

Welcome to the forum, Cosmic. Your biggest issue right now is the fact you don’t have a regular sleep schedule. So, on nights when you get a large amount of sleep, sleep drive is low and so sleep becomes harder the following night. When sleep drive builds back up, you are able to sleep well again.

However, because you aren’t following a consistent sleep schedule, you are now going through endless cycles of short sleep and long sleep.

You do not need to compensate for “lost sleep” (the body does this by itself, mainly by prioritizing deep sleep). You do not need to put any effort into sleep.

If you observe a regular and appropriate sleep window, you’ll give your body the chance to regulate the sleep/wake cycle and generate consistent sleep. If you want to improve your sleep at night, it’s usually best to avoid sleeping during the day.

I hope this helps.

—

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