[David1]

Last 3 days sleep:
2.5 hours
1.5 hours
45 minutes (today)

4 days ago I got 6-7 hours with a pill but it left me with tinnitus. I still have it. It is not too bad, but one more thing to think about.

Last night I felt really tired early and went to bed around 9. Didn’t fall asleep, so got back up for a whole and tried again. Around 11.

From about 12 to 12:45 I slept.

It is 6:30 and I’m going to start my day. Not sure what to say but quite frustrating.

[Scott]

Hi @David1,

Welcome to the forum and thanks for posting! Are you tracking your nightly sleep as part of a sleep diary? How long have you been having this disruption in your sleep? Why do you believe you’re experiencing insomnia – is there a trigger that could be causing it (change in jobs, decline in health, new partner or baby, etc)?

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.

[David1]

Yes, I got Covid Dec 30, and then had 4-5 sleepless nights in a row. I was afraid to sleep. Now, I don’t feel afraid, but their seems to be lingering anxiety. Even that seems a lot better now than before.

I have not kept a diary, and I should start. I have not had a 0 hour sleep day in more than a week, an improvement, but 1-2 hours is pretty much the norm. That alone does make me a little anxious. As I understand, perhaps this is no big deal and I should learn to accept that? (For now)

I took Trazadone a couple of times but hated it. I am taking 1/4 tabs of Ativan for anxiety and not exceding 3/4 total per day (yesterday none, today 1/2). My feeling is a small does provides some calm and “may” help sleep onset.

Just still not clear how to get more than a couple of hours, and hoping maybe my anxiety will steading improve and then so will sleep. At best, I can at least say I know more about what to expect, and am pretty functional even without sleep, but definitely not where I hope to be yet.

[David1]

Last night 1 hour, plus 30 min nap yesterday.

[Scott]

@David1,

A dramatic change in our health is certainly a trigger for restless nights but our sleep is usually restored once that stressful event passes. It’s our reaction to those difficult nights that can perpetuate the sleep disruption issue. The thoughts we begin to have about our sleep increases our arousal and we tend to add pressure to ourselves to sleep which makes sleep even more difficult to obtain. Have you thought about approaching your thoughts about sleep differently? What if you took the attitude of, “So what? What’s the worst thing that can happen?” when you begin to have an arousing thought about sleep? I remember when I experienced insomnia and changing how I managed my thoughts was key in successfully restoring my sleep. I had to consistently have the attitude of “so what” when thoughts arose but after a few days, my anxiety began to greatly lessen.

What time do you go to bed and get out of bed to start your day? When you are awake in bed unable to sleep, do you continue to lie in bed anxious or do you get out of bed to do something more enjoyable?

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.

[David1]

Yes, I have been using the “so what” for my anxiety thoughts in general, and in the daytime I have been able to do more normal activities.

Have not been getting out of bed as much as recommended. I go to bed around 10:30 pm and get up around 6 am. My one hour of sleep tends to be from about 12 to 1, and then I will get up by 2 for a little while, then try again. Last night I fell asleep briefly a second time, but then had a nightmare that woke me up (haven’t previously had many nightmares). I tried some more after that but not much luck.

I think I have some trouble finding enjoyable activities in the middle of the night. I suppose now I will go for a walk to get my day going.

Am I okay with 1.5 hours/sleep for a while? I can say “so what” to that?

[Scott]

@David1,

That’s encouraging to hear that you’re maintaining your daily activities! Many people who experience insomnia will deliberately change their daily routines or schedules in an attempt to accommodate lack of sleep so I encourage you to continue to go about your day as you’re doing now.

Since you mentioned that you typically go to bed at 10:30 but sleep from 12-1, do you think altering your bedtime to have a start time of 11:45pm or 12 would be more beneficial? The idea is to create a strong sleep drive that overpowers your anxiety which allows for a greater chance of sleep. Exploring the utilization of a sleep restriction window sounds counterintuitive but it could be worth exploring in your situation. If you’re not familiar with it, check out Martin’s resource page – https://insomniacoach.com/sleep-restriction-therapy/ and if you have questions along the way, we’re here to support.

If you wake in the middle of the night and are frustrated or anxious about falling back to sleep, then getting out of bed, as you’re currently doing, is helpful. If you continue to lie there, our mind creates an association between our bed and poor sleep so you’re breaking that association by removing yourself from that environment. Do you listen to podcasts or able to watch a non-stimulating TV show or maybe read a book, plan your lunch for the next day, etc? Any activity that is relaxing and takes your mind off of the situation is beneficial and once you begin to doze off or are continuously yawning are queues for your return to bed.

To my knowledge, there hasn’t been any health consequences identified with having insomnia. I believe, based on your posts, that you’re taking the necessary steps in managing your anxiety and you’re implementing stimulus control when you wake at night. After you review the article I mentioned above about sleep restriction, I’d be interested to hear if that’s something worth a try.

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.

[David1]

Thank you, Scott. Your answers are greatly appreciated. I will see what I can do about extending tonight. I guess with 4 days of very low sleep, there’s no guarantee on that but I’m going to try.

And then your idea about getting out of bed sounds good. I just need to work on funny activities that I enjoy.

[Scott]

David1,

You’re welcome and I look forward to your update! Just a reminder that any sedentary activity (sitting and watching TV, etc) can make it more difficult to remain awake until the start of your sleep window so try to be engaged in relaxing but non-sedentary activities. When I had insomnia, it was very difficult for me to wait until my sleep window started so I began watching TV on my phone while walking around inside my home. You could also prepare your lunch for the next day, craft, color, etc as other suggestions.

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.

[David1]

5 days in a row with about an hour sleep each day. I know because I play a guided sleep meditation and wake up an hour and a half into it. I’m relaxed but sleep is just not happening, except for the once be night around 12 to 1. Talking to a doctor again today. Really need to speak with an expert and do some tests. Not sure this CBT is working, but still not taking sleeping pills.

[Martin Reed]

I wonder if the guided sleep meditation might be a covert sleep effort? Sleep efforts increase arousal and can make sleep more difficult since the mind remains active to monitor for the effectiveness of the effort.

If you are keen to explore this further, you might ask yourself why you feel the need to put effort into sleep? If you didn’t put effort into sleep, what would happen? What is the underlying concern associated with sleep/wakefulness that seems to generate anxiety?

—

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]

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