[Needtosleep]

Hi everyone I’m new here and I’m quite distressed atm. I developed sudden insomnia 4 weeks ago after not being able to sleep for 2 days straight. Not sure what the trigger is as I didn’t have anything stressful going on at the time. I’ve now settled into a pattern of sleeping 6-8 hrs a day and 0-2 hrs the next day. Reading up on Martins material and insomnia has really helped my mood and reduce my anxiety during the day so I’m really grateful.

However In the last few days I’ve been sleeping ZERO hours every second days because I’ve started getting anxiety at around 5-6am when in the past this was the window where I could at least doze off a bit. I feel like my rational brain understands hyper arousal and anxiety and the reasons behind it but my body is just conditioned to feel anxiety and hyper arousal and won’t let me sleep. Has anyone been in my situation?

[Needtosleep]

I’ve tried sleep restriction for a night where I restrict my l good night’s sleep to 6hours but the next day I felt so anxious the whole day and still wasn’t able to sleep the next night.

[Lozelise]

It won’t last. After some time with insomnia your brain eventually begins to move into acceptance. You may still struggle, but it will be much better and sleep will always return. You’ll see that pattern even with people who don’t implement any strategies such as getting out of bed when not sleeping, sleep restriction etc. They may continue to struggle, but eventually you will move into an acceptance phase and things will improve to a degree. My favourite thing to remind myself is no night is the same, some days and weeks I’ll sleep well enough and then I tell myself im not an insomniac, just someone who has sleep difficulties from time to time.

[Needtosleep]

Thanks for your reply Lozelise you have given me some reassurance. I’m so glad that you’re doing well now. I’m sure you’re right but right now I’m in the thick of it and it’s so hard to remain rational. I’m desperate to get even one hour on the days that I don’t sleep as even 30mins is better than ZERO. I think that’s why I haven’t been able to get any sleep at all on those days as I’ve been so desperate. I went on a holiday last week and was able to sleep everyday so I know I can sleep, just something has clicked in my brain.

[Luke45]

Needtosleep, please take Lozelise’s advice. I was about to offer the same.

To echo Lozelise and drive the point home, here is a quote from a doctor with the AMA about acute insomnia:

“Acute insomnia, whether you are given a medication for it—that is, a sedative to help you sleep—or not, does go away in weeks to months, usually less than three months,” said Dr. Rosen, even if you do nothing.”

That’s why it is important to not “stress about it and keep your routines like you always have, and the insomnia is likely to resolve,” she said. “Certainly, some people find this distressing. If it’s a reactive insomnia—for example, if someone died or there’s a major life stressor—some people find it a lot better to cope during the day if they have gotten some sleep at night, but either way, the brain corrects itself.”

You’re not alone. It is normal, and many people share in this issue. It is part of the human experience.

With sincere love,
Luke

[Martin Reed]

This video might be helpful, too: How to stop the sleep roller coaster and make sleep more consistent and more predictable.

I wish you all the best 🙂

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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.

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