[Apple]

This is my first time suffering from insomnia. I’m a 34 year old woman, newly married and was very happy until 3 months ago. It started with sounds at night being very loud, like the cars outside and our neighbors foot steps upstairs. These are things I never used to hear. Now the sound of a pin dropping will wake me. I wake up anytime between 00:30 and 3am for more than an hour. Sometime when I get back to sleep, it’s very light sleep. I have a high demanding job and I’m scared this will start affecting my performance at work. I’m struggling to pay attention and I think I’m struggling from anxiety now as I’m having shortness of breath sometimes. I wake up to go to the bathroom more often now. I have been to the dr but the meds she gave me didn’t work, they affected my mood and I was very teary so I stopped taking them. I just want my old life back. My husband and I sleep in different rooms now. How can I improve my sleep? I used to sleep very well. I think this is stress related because I’m studying as well and have been very busy. Can I get sick from this? I sometimes have headaches when I get up and I’m developing an eye infection because of the lack of sleep so I’ve been using eye drops. I just don’t know what to anymore. I can’t carry on like this. I feel very sad.

[Martin Reed]

A common driver of insomnia is hyperarousal — and you have described this almost perfectly in your post. Hyperarousal leads to a lot of self-monitoring for sleep and a lot of sleep-related worry and anxiety — and this explains why you are so sensitive to any sound at night and very vigilant and aware of things such as your breathing.

The good news is that there is no evidence whatsoever that insomnia causes any health problem. In addition, since nothing you have written is unusual, I have no reason to believe you wouldn’t find cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) techniques very helpful.

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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.

[Author]

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