[Rachel H]

One night of sleeplessness has led to weeks of insomnia for me. I spend my days dreading the coming night. The nights where my husband falls asleep before me are especially troubling, as it makes me feel alone and only causes increased anxiety. I usually toss and turn for an hour and then resort to sleeping in my son’s bedroom. I am 4 months postpartum and have a young son. I find that obsessing over sleep takes away from enjoying the time spent with my children. Last night, I decided to try sleep restriction. I stayed up until midnight and fell asleep with ease. I’m exhausted today, but hope I can have repeat results tonight.

[Martin Reed]

Welcome to the forum, Rachel — and thanks for sharing that you have decided to try sleep restriction to build sleep drive and reduce the amount of time available for nighttime wakefulness.

I think you shared a big insight that obsessing over sleep takes away from time you spend with your children. There are two things we can do here:

1. Recognize that the mind will always wander and latch onto current or potential difficulties — when this happens, we might practice reminding ourselves that this is normal. Then, we might gently guide our attention back to the present moment rather than trying to fight what our mind wants to do!

2. Recognize that we can replace any behaviors connected to obsessing over sleep (such as ongoing sleep-related research) with activities that are more aligned with our values and help move us toward the kind of life we want to live.

You might also enjoy my podcast episode with Cindy — here’s a link: How Cindy tackled the insomnia that appeared after her baby was born by accepting nighttime wakefulness and eliminating safety behaviors (#31).

I hope this helps!

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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.

[Rachel H]

Thank you for your suggestions!

[Author]

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