[Cstena]

Hi – new here. I’ve had insomnia for about 5 months now, it’s definitely gotten a little better but feel like I’ve plateaud, and even regress sometimes. I can fall asleep for the most last, but wake up 2-3 hours later, can usually talk back asleep but then wake up again 2 hours after that. So I sleep for about 5 hours a night.

[Scott]

Hi @Cstena,

Welcome to the forum! I’m glad to hear your insomnia has improved recently. Are you currently implementing CBT-I techniques? What is your current sleep window?

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.

[Cstena]

Hi Scott –

I try to stick to 11:30pm-6:15am. If I’m falling asleep before then I will go to bed at 11pm or sometimes wait till 12pm. Sometimes I get in my head though and am “waiting” to feel sleepy and it does not come, and then I go to bed and start panicking. I’ve had more trouble falling asleep recently. I know I shouldn’t put pressure on sleep and tell myself it will be OK regardless of how much sleep I get, but sometimes I just can’t get out of my head. And then a bad night of sleep fuels more bad nights… I started my sleep window at 12:30am – 7am, but was always up around 530am. I’ve been doing this since May. I do find it too hard to get up in the middle of the night when I can’t sleep, and I usually fall back asleep. However I am thinking I should start getting out of bed when I initially can’t fall asleep – right now I just get frustrated and then think of grabbing a sleeping pill.

[Scott]

I don’t think what you describe is terribly uncommon for those suffering from insomnia, so you’re definitely not alone. The good news is that you’ve identified some critical reasons why you could be experiencing sleep disruptions. Yeah, sleep is one of those weird things in life that doesn’t reward our hard work, and in fact, the harder we try to fix our sleep, the more elusive it becomes. Instead of waiting for sleep to happen or trying to force it, what else could you be doing that would be more enjoyable – watching TV, listening to a podcast, crafting, etc?

It’s impossible to control when our thoughts arrive, what the thought is going to be and when it decides to leave us alone. Since we aren’t able to control our thoughts, have you considered welcoming them by saying, “thank you, mind” and focusing on something that’s more beneficial to you – such as your breath or simply going back to what you were doing when it arrived? Our unhelpful thoughts crave attention so the more attention you give it, the more it wants to hang around.

As long as the conditions for sleep are good, you’re more than welcome to remain in bed. When you become frustrated and anxious though, that’s when you might consider removing yourself from bed and finding something more enjoyable.

Hope that helps,
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.

[Cstena]

Thanks, at this point it’s the anxiety around sleep and I can’t shake it. I feel like I am constantly in a state of hyperarousal throughout the day. It’s hard to relax at night because I start to worry, and I can’t even enjoy tv. I do try to focus on my breathing, a mantra, change my focus, etc. but its very difficult. I might have a few moments where I forget but it always comes back. I am restricting my window more to about 5.5-6 hours, and am trying to focus on the positive.

[Martin Reed]

Anxiety is difficult — and it’s one of those things that can become more difficult, the more we try to fight or avoid it. You might find this forum discussion helpful: https://insomniacoach.com/forums/topic/difficult-times/

—

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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