[Big zee]

I have carried this curse for years now. Eventually an understanding GP worked with me over a number of years looking for a combination of drugs that gave me some release. But this partnership finished some time ago. And the insomnia has returned, the first 24 hrs are not too bad, but after 48 and 72hrs it becomes a living nightmare once again. You try to tell others and they nod as if they understand my situation. Eventually exhaustion takes over. But the cycle just repeats its self over and over again. I feel so alone I don’t tell my wife of the hallucinations and the other baggage that comes with this situation. But its taking its toll on my health now. How do others cope with this curse. I’ve tried a lot of sleeping medications but nothing seems to help over the long time. Anyone got any advice for me ?

[Deb]

Hi Big Zee – Chronic insomnia is a mental condition so prescriptions are not the permanent answer. There are two therapies that do work. Both work by retraining the brain to stop associating going to bed with anxiety, which is what chronic insomnia is all about – anxiety related to sleeping. One therapy is called CBT-I (cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia) which Martin, the creator of this website, teaches. He’s got lots of great resources here. The other is called ACT and the best resource for this is “The Sleep Book” by Dr. Guy Meadows, which is very readable and easy to understand. Its focus is on learning to give up the struggle to sleep (i.e., trying all different things like pills, natural remedies, soothing music, special curtains, etc.) and then to relax, so that sleep comes naturally. It teaches you how to do this and how to let go of the struggle. I’ve tried both therapies but prefer ACT, which is gentler and felt more intuitive to me. But it’s also trickier, because you have to learn how to change your thinking about insomnia and then quiet down your mind. CBT-I focuses more on specific behavioral techniques. If you want to try CBT-I, Martin is a great coach to work with. If you want to try ACT, read the book and then check out the “ACT for Insomnia” thread here.

[Martin Reed]

Welcome to the forum, Big zee! As you are now recognizing, sleeping pills aren’t a long-term solution for insomnia because they don’t address the thoughts and behaviors that perpetuate insomnia.

Have you looked into (or tried) cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) techniques? These can be really helpful over the long term because they do address the root cause of insomnia.

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[Author]

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