[laumatbon]

Hi everyone – my sleep issues began in December/January 2022, and I completed this course in May 2023. I’m happy to share that my sleep is back to normal! A dozen little things made incremental impacts, but below are a few big ones:

– The most impactful aspects of the course were 1) realizing I will never lose the ability to sleep!, and 2) reprioritizing my evenings. In the thick of my insomnia, I developed all these nighttime rituals that did nothing but stress me out further. It was freeing to start enjoying my evenings again and doing whatever I wanted until I was truly sleepy. For example, I restarted crocheting and reading, and I still cherish the leisure they’ve brought back into my life.

– I also struggled with noise at night…for a while, I obsessed over how my HVAC clicking on and off marked the passing of time (i.e. if each cycle lasted 20 minutes and I heard it click on 2 or 3 times, I’d start worrying why it was taking so long to fall asleep). Eventually, this excellent advice changed me: “Noise (or light, or any other distraction) doesn’t cause insomnia; WORRYING about it does.” So, I stopped worrying. It sounds pithy, but it’s true! Once I accepted that I was not broken, I realized it didn’t matter how long it took to fall asleep, so over time, I stopped feeling bothered by it.

– This was the final tipping point. A few weeks after completing the course, I had a revelation: I have a history of not trusting my body. For example, a few years ago during a stressful time, I developed IBS. I spent months worrying about my digestion, thinking I was broken, taking supplements, and feeling desperate. Then it disappeared when my stress resolved, and I haven’t worried about digestion since. As I reflected on that time, I realized that my digestion isn’t exactly clockwork today…the difference is, I don’t think about it. I trust that when I eat, I will digest. I may not use the bathroom at the same time every single day, and I might have some off days, but I never worry that an off day means the whole digestive system is screwed up. Sleep is EXACTLY the same. It’s just a bodily function! I read somewhere that no matter what, your body sleeps 4 hours a night (even if it’s unrefreshing micro sleeps), so it’s something I can’t even opt out of. It’s something I can’t do well or poorly. And maybe I’ll fall asleep in 5 minutes one day and an hour the next, but it doesn’t matter because I’m not broken. That revelation dissolved my insomnia for good. I’ve had some bad nights since from general stress, but I am certain that I will never toss and turn again from fear of sleep.

Good luck everyone – it really does get better!

[Martin Reed]

Thank you for sharing! It sounds as though you found it particularly helpful to move away from trying to control what cannot be controlled (such as sleep itself, what you think, and how you feel).

When that happens, we can free up energy and attention to do things that matter. We can start to reclaim our lives from insomnia and move toward the life we want to live (even when this difficult stuff is still present).

I am not sure we can permanently stop ourselves from thinking certain thoughts or feeling certain feelings — but we can definitely respond to them in different (and perhaps more workable) ways!

I loved the comparison between sleep and digestion — both things the body wants to take care of all by itself! It’s when we (often understandably) try to get involved in those internal processes that things can get more difficult.

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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.

[Irina Croitor]

This is such a beautiful story! Thank you so so much for sharing! We all need some positive stories to keep us going when times are uncertain. Having said that, I have already noticed improvement in my worrying levels after finishing week 1. The apprehension it is still there understandably, but I’m not experiencing fierce anxiety attacks that would result in physical and psychological symptoms.

Martin, the content in week 1 was so reassuring for my mind…knowing that there is no causation between insomnia and mortality, learning that in insomniancs the body prioritises on deep sleep, and that generally people are subjective about the wuality of their sleep…and your voice is so soothing (the whole family likes listening to you :). Thank you so much!

[Kriskin1]

This is a great thread. Laumat you have written a powerful message to all of us on here. Martin & Irina have added superbly as well. It’s news like this that keep us all going to get to that position/acceptance you have described. Really brilliant

[Czor]

What an uplifting story, thank you so much. I have been going to EMDR and another form of therapy for trauma, therapist and my doctor have said that processing trauma can certainly impact sleep so I am guessing that is part of the problem but I know that it will pass with time. On the nights that I am truly sleepy I can crash hard and on the days that I don’t get sleep it is temporary and will pass.

[Vicmango7]

Hi! I have the same issues, except I can’t sleep at all unless I can medication. Anytime I try, I don’t get a minute of sleep. And then I can’t sleep again the next time. The more I stay awake the more stressed I get. I think I have IBS too. What was the main symptoms and what test did you do to confirm this?

[Hyhan]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I am still learning and observing. (on day 5 of the free course) and this brings hope to me.

[Author]

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