[Edguitar]

I first experienced insomnia after I stopped taking Ativan for internal tremors that I had been prescribed by my doctor. It wasn’t a night after night episode, but when it hit, the anxiety it set off in me could only be tamed by that med. As I lost weight and the tremors subsided, it was then that the insomnia creeped in. But then I read about Benzodiazepines and how addictive they could be. I decided to stop using them, but the insomnia was now persistent. I asked my doctor for something less addictive and he prescribed Trazodone. The fact is that even getting a prescription, I haven’t taken more than a handful at this point. I discovered Martins videos and decided to try the sleep restriction. It wasn’t easy at first, but then after about a week of terrible sleeping, I began to sleep again, id say for a good ten days. But then I had a bad night the night before last and then kind of brought back the dread that the insomnia was back again. Last night I felt like I laud there most of the night without sleeping, but my wife says she heard me sleep. Its one of those things where I don’t recall if I’ve slept at all. It sure seems like I didn’t. Anyway, I want to keep working to do my best to just sleep naturally. I don’t want to follow rituals because it’s not how natural sleeping is achieved. Martin’s podcasts have also been a godsend to listen to at night. So I want to be a part of this forum to keep working towards total recovery.

Thanks!
Eddie

[Martin Reed]

Thanks for sharing your story, Eddie — and good on you for implementing sleep restriction! That is not easy!

I appreciate you sharing that you found it helpful and experienced ten days of good sleep — perhaps this proves that allotting an appropriate amount of time for sleep might be helpful?

Difficult nights sure can bring back all those anxieties and worries about sleep and, in turn, create some additional sleep disruption. It can be helpful to recognize that occasional difficult nights are normal and to be expected — everyone experiences them!

If you continue to implement techniques that build sleep drive, strengthen the body clock, and weaken arousal — and if you are able to go about your days as normally as possible — you give your sleep the best chance to get right back on track!

The fact your wife is telling you that she has seen you sleeping when you have felt convinced you haven’t been sleeping suggests that you might actually be getting a bit more sleep than you think — and sometimes that, in itself, can be quite reassuring!

I actually recorded a video about this “sleep state misperception” (also known as paradoxical insomnia).

I hope this helps!

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