[elliejane]

For me my insomnia is triggered nightly by the same recurring thoughts of “You aren’t going to sleep tonight” or “What if you don’t fall asleep” which obviously puts my brain on fight or flight mode leaving my brain wide awake and my body tired. I long just to have a more consistent sleep routine and not feel so scared of sleep everyday. If I can’t sleep I try not to toss and turn, I’ll read or go on my phone or watch a show. But even when I feel tired again the thoughts don’t ever slow down for my brain to slow down, for sleep to happen. I’m not trying to get rid of the thoughts, I understand they’re there and the more I fight them the more prominent they’ll be. However, at the moment I don’t see how my brain will ever not fixate on them? It’s a nightly thing that means I just can’t shut my brain off and rest. Does anyone have any advice?

[Scott]

Hey @elliejane, welcome!

Unwanted thoughts can be a challenge, as you’re experiencing! As you mentioned, our minds naturally go into fight-or-flight mode when these thoughts show up, which is totally normal. You’ve recognized that fighting them can actually make them more intense. What strategies do you use to manage these thoughts when they pop up?

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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.

[elliejane]

Hi @scottctj, thank you for your reply! I’m not currently using any strategies, the thoughts are there all day and they’re all consuming to be honest. I try to just let them be as I know fighting them can make it worse. So I just let them fester in my mind all day, and at night when they stop me from sleeping I just try to embrace being awake. Is there any strategies you’d recommend for these invasive thoughts?

[Scott]

Since we can’t control what and when our mind is thinking, we can learn to manage our thoughts as what they are – just thoughts. Instead of getting tangled up in our thoughts, we can create space by acknowledging them. Simply saying, “There I go again with that sleep worry,” or “Hi there, anxious thought about sleep,” can act as a buffer. This doesn’t banish the thought forever or prevent it from returning, but over time, its power over you should weaken. This is a technique that works best when you’re also applying it to thoughts during the day, instead of just at bedtime.

Have you practiced any mindfulness techniques while resting in bed? You may find imagining a balloon floating in the sky or focusing on your breathing in/out beneficial. Practice these techniques for restful purposes instead of trying to force sleep since the harder we try to sleep, the more elusive sleep becomes. Be mindful that you may experience those unhelpful thoughts while practicing mindfulness. If you do, meet and greet them as described above.

Hope you find this helpful!

—

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.

[elliejane]

Thank you so much! I’ll try this next!

[Author]

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