[riverman]

I have had periodic episodes of insomnia during various periods of my life during some of which I used sleeping pills. I am experiencing another bad bout at the moment.

It takes me quite a while to fall asleep and then I wake 3 or 4 times before falling asleep. Sometimes es I only realize I have actually slept because I remember having dreamt. My major concern that keeps this cycle going is the preoccupation that this is doing me physical harm.

At the moment I am resisting a strong compulsion in me to self- medicate with the use of alcohol as I know that is both counter productive and potentially dangerous hence my search for alternative solutions.

I guess I just need to hear from people with similar experiences and with positive outcomes so I don’t feel so isolated. Thank you for taking the time to read my post

[Chee2308]

I always feel a bit sorry when I read stories like these but at the same time, a bit unsympathetic as well because you become the condition you are in through wrong beliefs and mistaken ideas taking hold that have biased your mind to make certain erroneous conclusions about sleep, your body and your health. In doing this, you create unnecessary and needless suffering to yourself and probably to others who care about you.

It can take a while to untangle deeply embedded belief systems because you have become so convinced by them it feels impossible to believe other ideas. What if I told you your sleep was absolutely fine, it was never broken and this all originates inside your head?? You would probably scoff at me and say I don’t know what I’m talking about.

I was an insomniac myself so I know there’s absolutely nothing there and there can be nothing there. Insomnia is just an adult version of the classical kiddy’s monster in the closet. As adults, you just know there aren’t any. Set a pretty consistent bed time schedule and do the absolute minimum for sleep. Face your fears head on. Be willing to entertain your deepest and darkest fears about insomnia, this will open up a new chapter in your journey. Once you are willing to confront your fears and not escape them anymore, they will become more manageable until you eventually grow out of them. Insomnia can be quite scary but the suffering is really only surreal, it just gives an illusion of one. Good luck to you and I really hope you find long term relief soon.

[riverman]

Thanks for the reply and yes I recognize a great deal of truth in what you are saying. As you have gone through this yourself I’d appreciate a general description of how you dealt with this and the strategies you took. Thank you again for reading my post and taking the time and trouble to reply.

[Chee2308]

Set a get into and out of bed time. This is the most important aspect and the only thing you can physically do. Keep doing it even when your sleep is choppy at first. Well that’s it! Then CARE LESS. RELAX. Your body will right itself when given the opportunity and the consistent bed time will be its bedrock. It’s okay to be apprehensive or even scared at first, that’s normal and do give yourself all the room to have those feelings or even expect them. Accept that you won’t fall asleep immediately after getting into bed and that’s okay too! Start associating your bed as your personal space where you just relax and slip away instead of as a source of anxiety and frustration. Be friendly with wakefulness and expect to get them anytime during your sleep, just don’t fight or struggle with it! Stop focussing on the direct result (sleep) and more on the other things that make it more conducive, like comfy bed, consistent bedtimes, bed as place for relaxation and sleep becomes a by-product of those things. Good luck!

[riverman]

Thank you for your time and suggestions which are greatly appreciated. I think the acceptance part of wakefulness is the key part of the message in my own particular circumstances. If I can learn to do that then I suspect that a lot of other stuff will fall into place.

[Martin Reed]

How do you feel you might be able to practice being more accepting of all this difficult stuff?

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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.

[riverman]

Hi Martin,

I think trying to develop some sort of mindful awareness that my thoughts are just thoughts. My problem is that often I get embroiled into the negative emotions and thinking before I realize it. Hopefully if I’m more aware that these are just thoughts I would be able to be with them more comfortably and just observe them.

[Martin Reed]

Yes, thoughts are thoughts — and they can also be really difficult to experience sometimes!

I wonder whether part of moving away from struggling with them and being more accepting of them might involve not only observing them, but also moving away from labeling them as “negative” or “positive”?

All your thoughts come from your brain doing its job and looking out for you — and without them, you wouldn’t be alive today. Labeling them in such a way might end up pulling you into more of a struggle since “negative” implies something is bad and must be fought or avoided 🙂

The timeline of “realizing” when you’re getting tangled up in your thoughts doesn’t matter too much — what matters is how you respond when you do realize it’s happening!

—

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.

[riverman]

Thank you for your advice Martin I greatly appreciate it. Your videos are a great resource that I’ve been diving into and getting a lot out of. I hope you don’t mind me saying that you present things so clearly and coherently and in such a calming manner. This makes a huge difference. You make a complex issue very easy to understand The internet is often used for all sorts of negative reasons and it is fantastic that there are people like you who help others online. I’m sure I speak for many others when I say thank you again.

[Martin Reed]

I appreciate your kind words — and you are most welcome 🙂

—

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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