[gisellaedny]

Hi everyone. I’ve enrolled in the 2 week coaching program for insomnia but it’s still a week from now and I’ve been having a major setback.

To put it simply, my mind is convinced that the approach does not work for me as I experience a progressive decline in my sleep (or at least it’s convinced it is). I had very good results at the start and then a lot of triggers happened and sleep evaded me like the plague. I feel like I’m back to square one. Every time I notice mindfully when I’m in bed, my brain keeps telling me “Stop it! It’s not going to work so stop trying!” And it SCREAMS. I’ve been trying meditation for over a month and feel like I’m a lost cause because the approach didn’t work for me.

Has anyone experienced this before?

I’ve decided to take a leave from my studies to get this under control as well. It was for the best and if it still doesn’t work, I might have to drop out entirely which is totally the opposite of ACT but it gives me safety.

[Martin Reed]

Ups and downs are completely normal and, when the “downs” happen, it’s totally normal for your mind to come up with lots of difficult thoughts, feelings, and stories as it does its job of looking out for you.

What matters is how you respond to those thoughts, feelings, and stories. As you might know from experience, you can’t directly or permanently control them — but you can always control your actions.

Does your experience tell you that you can directly and permanently control sleep? If not, perhaps taking a leave from your studies risks pulling you further away from the life you want to live and creating more of a struggle?

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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.

[gisellaedny]

Hi Martin,

Thanks for your reply and it took me some time to understand what you meant. I might’ve encountered a revelation last night as I lied awake wondering why I’m not sleeping. Even though my anxieties around sleep are mostly just background noise at the moment.

I discovered I wasn’t having a setback, I’m right on track! Because I was fixated on a sleep effort and wondering whether all my attempts of “letting go” was actually a sleep effort. And it was exactly that. How I got through that was being kind to myself and acknowledging that the human mind works in that way (overanalyzing stuff especially in its hyperaroused state). I said to myself “oh okay. As long as I’m aware that it’s a sleep effort.” Naturally, miraculously even, I began to be kinder to myself and allowed myself to be okay with that thought.

But that’s not the revelation. When I lied awake last night in bed, pondering why I can’t fall asleep. I thought I might as well enjoy my night time with some youtube videos (massive fan of youtube gaming accounts) and took the pressure off sleep. This is not to say I fell asleep because I actually slept for only a few hours but I didn’t struggle! And today, I felt so light and energetic that I had energy to do things I even didn’t want to do!

The revelation is that the struggle is what drains all my energy. The constant “accepting” my thoughts in the middle of the night in an attempt to control it, the struggle with daytime fatigue and exhaustion, these are the struggle that keeps me locked in the loop.

Now I know that when I learn to make friends with insomnia, welcome and accept it wholeheartedly, I’ll be on my way to recovery. So for those of you having setbacks, wait for the revelation and come out stronger on the other end!

[Martin Reed]

Great stuff here — thank you for sharing these fantastic insights with us!

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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.

[Chee2308]

The more you try to “figure it out”, the more sleepless you will get. This is exactly what insomnia is all about. Overthinking and overdoing, and basically fear-mongering yourself awake. Losing sleep over sleep itself. Sleep only comes from a complete lack of effort and in a way, thinking. The only thing you need to do is just get in and out of bed at regular times. That’s it. The rest is up to your body and totally beyond your control. The more you try to “fix it”, the stickier your insomnia becomes because all that effort and brain exercise is very stimulating to your mind and keeps sleep at bay.

[Author]

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