[nchamer1]

So it started with anxiety. Completely unrelated to my insomnia. But then I found I wasn’t sleeping well.. and the cycle started from there. I’m now convinced I can’t ever sleep properly again, I know it’s silly but at night I don’t know how to shut that out my mind.
I know sometimes I drift off because I dream but I don’t think it’s for long at all.. I know I wake up in the night throughout I get up and walk around and sometimes I do just drop off but I don’t know how or what to do it’s like I’m scared to go to bed.
I never have slept certain times for 8 hours straight so I probably on average get around 6 hours but at the moment I feel I’m having half of that. I’m scared I’ll make myself Ill and another cycle starts that I won’t be able to work it’s so silly when I type it out but it’s affecting me mentally – physically in the day I don’t feel tired but I’m constantly thinking about the night time 🙁 anyone else the same

[Martin Reed]

Very few people actually get eight hours of sleep — six hours is probably more common among the general population!

Most cases of insomnia begin in a way that’s similar to what you have described. A specific event leads to worry, stress, or anxiety — and sleep is (quite expectedly) disrupted. Usually, sleep recovers by itself but sometimes it doesn’t.

When the sleep disruption continues for the longer-term, it’s usually because of our response to the initial sleep disruption. For example, we can start to worry about our sleep, we can start to research sleep and put more effort and thought into sleep than we ever did before. We might also be tempted to compensate for lost sleep by conserving energy or canceling plans.

Unfortunately, all these responses perpetuate the problem and turn short-term sleep disruption into a longer-term problem.

The good news is, we never lose our ability to sleep — and we can use the core biological mechanisms behind sleep to override sleep-related worry and anxiety and help set the stage for sleep.

Have you tried implementing CBT-I techniques to get your sleep back on track?

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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.

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