[Wakkawakka]

Back in January I simply stopped being able to sleep- the lack of being able to sleep led to panic attacks led to less sleep etc. I was willing to go inpatient since life became so unmanageable. Thankfully I was able to use (only when necessary) Klonopin and I still use trazodone for sleep. It has helped me get sleep when I can’t but my sleep anxiety has not abated since I now feel dependent on the medication to sleep. I am afraid of stopping (I use the Klonopin maybe 1-2/wk) for about 3 months but have been taking the trazodone for a year. I want to sleep on my own – my days are plagued with. “What if I don’t sleep” “what medication should I take?” “What if it doesn’t work” so even when I can get sleep it still feels restless and unproductive

[Scott]

Hi @Wakkawakka – what you describe isn’t unusual for those experiencing insomnia. Generally, a sleepless night becomes a perpetuating issue when we change our thoughts and behaviors toward the issue. As long as we try to force sleep to happen or try to control our unhelpful thoughts about sleep, we tend to continue struggling with achieving sound sleep. Since we can’t control what pops into our mind, do you think it’d be beneficial to change the relationship we have with our thoughts instead? When you have a “what if I don’t sleep” thought arrive, what if you said, “there’s that sleep thought again” to create some distance between you and your thought and allow it to exist instead of fighting or trying to avoid it? After acknowledging it, continue enjoying the activity you were engaged in when it arrived. This won’t prevent the thought from coming and, it may pop in more frequently at first because that’s what our mind does, but if you continue to practice this technique, I suspect you’ll find some benefit with it. The more we struggle with these unhelpful thoughts, the more it pulls us away from an enjoyable life.

Hope that helps,
Scott J

—

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.

[Author]

Posts