[Dewina]

Dear group, any tips for solving severe insomnia… Have not slept at all for past two nights and now I wish to get rid of sleeping pills… Weren’t working well for me and had too many side effects

[Chee2308]

Hi Dewina and welcome!

I am sorry to hear about your recent struggle. My first advice is to set a regular bed time and always stick to it. This is important, especially getting out of bed the same time every day and helps keep your body’s biological clock in good sync.

The second is try to ignore all that doom and gloom noise especially the one generated inside your head, I know this is very hard especially when you’re hurting so much now but equally very important if you want to cure your insomnia. Pay less and less attention on your insomnia and get on with your day regardless of how you slept. Distract yourself by keeping yourself busy, engage in joyful and satisfactory work while in your waking hours. People who recover from insomnia don’t necessarily sleep a lot better, but they are able to handle the stress of not sleeping well a lot better and because of that, they generally sleep much better. Fear of poor sleep is exactly what keeps it going! Good luck and merry christmas to you. I earnestly hope 2023 will be a year when you really recover from your insomnia.

• This reply was modified 2 years ago by Chee2308.

[Dewina]

Thanks so much for the advice. My biggest challenge is the low energy levels due to 0 sleep for several days. How to overcome and act normal when you have a headache and you feel fatigued due to 0 sleep for several days. On top I believe I got insomnia due to Prednisone intake and am now suffering from withdrawal side effects. Do you have any strategies to manage the energy levels during the day despite days of 0 sleep?

[Chee2308]

Unfortunately, when I said you should just get on with your day, you do exactly that. Another word for this is acceptance. You accept whatever uncomfortable situation you find yourself in. It’s kinda like jumping into a cold pool or taking a cold shower, it’s quite uncomfortable at first but you’ll get used to it.

And therefore, I mentioned to find things to do to distract yourself, preferably something you really enjoy to take your mind off such things for a while. The more you just sit there and thinking how horrible everything is, the worse it gets. The more dissatisfied you are with yourself about sleep, the more despair you get yourself into. No doubt, you will feel tired and sleepy at times, and this is normal. It is surefire sign that your sleep system is still working perfectly!

The less you sleep during the day, the more likely you will sleep at night. This is the fundamental truth about human sleep biology. It works exactly like hunger. The longer you go without food, the hungrier you get. Just don’t stress excessively over it, trust your own body, it will readjust itself if you allow it. The act of just going to bed is analogous to putting food in your mouth when hungry. Your body automatically knows what to do next and it will get what it needs for that moment. There is just no way your body can get it wrong! Good luck.

• This reply was modified 2 years ago by Chee2308.

[Sarahjoy]

I just also wanted to say, symptoms are real symptoms. Please don’t let anyone gaslight your experience and say you are exaggerating or undermine you ❤️

[Martin Reed]

Hello Dewina. Things sounds really difficult for you. When things are hard it becomes really important to practice some self-kindness. To acknowledge that things are difficult and to talk and act kindly toward yourself.

Unfortunately there’s not a whole lot we can do about our energy levels — we can’t magically make energy appear (just as we can’t magically make sleep happen).

What we can do (in addition to being kind to ourselves when things are difficult) is to act in ways that are aligned with our values and do things that keep us moving toward the kind of life we want to live (no matter how small those actions might be).

Have you tried experimenting with any of the things discussed on this website or in my free sleep training course that might help you move away from any behaviors that might be making sleep more difficult?

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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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