[ahryan2011]

Hello. I started having insomnia in January. It would last for a couple of weeks, then I’d have a couple weeks of great sleep. This happened again in February, and then again in March. But it has since turned into an all-the-time problem because I developed quite a fear of not sleeping. I don’t really know what caused it. I had a hard time falling asleep one night, and I think it reminded me of a bad bout of insomnia I had last year after a few panic attacks, and the onset of an anxiety disorder (which is well under control after lots of work with my therapist and on my own). I’ve been trying to implement CBT-I on my own with the Insomnia Coach app (free app developed for veterans). It has been very difficult to do alone.

[hiker]

Hi ahryan2011, I can relate to insomnia feeling like a lonely battle. Actually on any given day, there are millions of people who slept poorly the previous night, even for a lot of nights. I have found that when I sleep poorly, my thoughts can really go haywire–along the lines of ‘nobody can relate to what I’m going through, etc.’

So it might be helpful to check out Martin’s course so you can get some structure into what to do next. And this also addresses sleep anxiety, as you put it, developing “quite a fear of not sleeping.” This is a fear that doesn’t need a specific cause. Maybe yours originated in the anxiety disorder you describe. No matter. Once it shows up, it can take on a life of its own.

I know the VA has really gotten into mindfulness meditation for chronic pain and PTSD. And it can deal with insomnia, too. I think your therapist can steer you toward some resources. Everyone who tries it will find this or that source resonates more than others. Example of one free site I have found useful: palousemindfulness.com

I know mindfulness has become something of a fad, but it has been around for centuries. No serious practitioner will claim it is a cure-all for anything. (Would that life were that easy…) But it does provide some tools for not buying into every thought that just pops into your head: watching your thoughts pass by instead of moving in with them.

Take care, you are not alone.

[Martin Reed]

Are there any specific CBT-I techniques you are finding particularly challenging? Perhaps we might be able to help with that!

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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.

[ahryan2011]

Thanks for responding, Martin. I think the most challenging technique is stimulus control, particularly getting out of bed (sometimes repeatedly) when awake in bed for more than 20 minutes. It is difficult to stay in bed awake, but also difficult to get up. It feels stressful either way. I also have a hard time with not napping on days I’ve had a poor night. If I sit down to rest at all, especially to do a relaxation exercise for anxiety, my head bobs over and over, or I just fall asleep. Same with staying up for time in bed restriction. The days after having a poor night of sleep I’m SO emotional and irritable. It’s like I just can’t get my mind in the right place for any of it.

[Martin Reed]

Really, our only goal with stimulus control is to make unpleasant nighttime wakefulness more pleasant. So, instead of monitoring for 20 minute chunks of time you might want to go by how you feel instead.

If nighttime wakefulness feels really unpleasant, you then have an opportunity to make that wakefulness more pleasant by doing anything that’s more appealing than what you are currently doing! This might involve doing something out of bed. It might involve doing something in bed. It doesn’t really matter as long as whatever you do is more enjoyable than not doing anything!

When it comes to the anxiety — a normal human emotion that everyone experiences — this often becomes more of a challenge when we try to fight or avoid it. Sometimes acknowledging it and giving it some space to exist can be more helpful and move you away from an endless struggle with anxiety that you can never win!

—

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.

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