[T6001]

I’ve had insomnia for 24 years. It got really bad when my 3rd child was born. She was very sick and had to sleep by me every night for two years. Then my husband started working nights. It’s all been downhill since then. I take Ambien every night and I am terrified to be without it. I wake up feeling exhausted and feeling like it’s time to go to bed every morning. Ive tried to wean off Ambien but can’t do it. I also now have a panic disorder. I have read so many books and gone to therapists and nothing helps. My husband is not cooperative when it come to sleep hygiene because he feels it takes away from what he wants to do in the evening( watch tv). He falls asleep easily anywhere anytime so has no idea what I’m going through. He wants me to get help but doesn’t want to give up anything. I’ve never found anything except Ambien to help me. I really need help. I found this podcast by searching insomnia. I love podcasts and had never thought to search for help with sleep. I am extremely hopeful for help now!!

[burn]

T6001,

You found a great place to search for help. This site has information about methods to overcome insomnia. Insomnia is a psychological/cognitive condition and should be addressed through cognitive approaches. There are two approaches.
1) Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI). CBTI is mostly based on behavioral changes: you start to spend less time in bed to increase sleep drive and you leave you bed when it starts to feel unpleasant. Through these behavioral changes you aim to unlearn to associate bed with wakefulness. You can learn about CBTI in Martin Reed’s (resource owner) youtube videos, his podcasts and from main page of this website (not forum part of it). You can read success stories on this forum. You can sign up for free sleep training course from Martin. You can enroll into Martin’s sleep coaching.
2) Acceptance and commitment therapy for insomnia (ACT). The method is described Guy Meadows’s ‘Sleep Book’. In this method you learn to think about you sleep worries differently and you address them mentally. You can read ACT discussion in another thread on this forum (ACT for insomnia). You can reach to Katharina Lederle through SleepSchool or Somnia for private sessions. But be sure to read Sleep Book several times before that. ACT will likely take some time to get into.

Good luck. You can do it.

[Martin Reed]

Welcome to the forum, T6001. You are NOT alone!

Trying to wean off Ambien without taking any steps to tackle the thoughts and behaviors that perpetuate chronic insomnia is a tall order. So, I am not surprised that you have found this difficult. The fact you have tried to do this, and the fact you have tried many things to improve your sleep, is a reflection of your tenacity and determination to sleep better.

This is encouraging because it means you likely have the tenacity and determination to improve your sleep with the implementation of evidence-based cognitive and behavioral techniques since they can be challenging to implement (especially over the short-term) — but they are very effective over the longer-term because they address the thoughts and behaviors that perpetuate insomnia.

The good news is sleep hygiene isn’t an effective treatment for chronic insomnia, so you can watch TV at night without fear or concern. If watching TV at night caused chronic insomnia, I think we’d see about 98% of the population of the Western world finding it hard to sleep at night!

Have you looked into (or tried) cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) techniques to help improve your sleep for the long-term?

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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.

[Author]

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