[Joe]

I have a great difficulty falling asleep. I am hooked on prescription sleep aids (Nozinan, Immovane, Temazepam, Chlorazepam etc.) to help me fall asleep.  When nightime comes I am simply not tired and my head does circles instead of falling asleep. The sleep aids help but they are difficult to come across and are not a permanent solution to the problem. I l lie in bed feeling anxious with my head doing circles . I don’t nap during the day. My room is quiet, dark and cool and I practice good sleep hygiene. This problem has been going on for most of my life. Does anyone have any advice?

[Deb]

You need CBT-I, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia. It is a very specialized type of therapy and there is an explanation of it on this site. It’s not easy to do so it’s best to hire a therapist trained in this or Martin Reed, who created this website. He’s worked with people who have had insomnia up to 30 years.

Pills are just a distraction and will not help you. In the long run, they hurt you. This is because insomnia is a learned condition, where we learn to associate going to bed with anxiety. Insomnia needs to be unlearned. But the longer  you rely on pills and go without the necessary therapy, the longer you are strengthening the association between going to bed and anxiety.

I hope that you get the help you need soon.

[Deb]

Here’s a couple  of good books to help you start to educate yourself about insomnia and what can be done about it:

The Effortless Sleep Method by Sasha Stephens

End the Insomnia Struggle by Colleen Ehrnstrom

[Martin Reed]

Welcome to the forum, Joe. You mentioned that when nighttime comes around, you aren’t tired. Does this mean that you go to bed before you feel drowsy, sleepy, and ready for sleep? If so, have you tried simply waiting until you do feel sleepy before going to bed?

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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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