[trailrunner85]

Issue with sleep began in September/ Early October while on travel for work. Went through the same path so many others go where I went to doctors and was prescribed a ton of different medications. Through November I tried most, maybe only a time or two, but they didn’t do the job. In December, I found the podcast and it really helped! Fast forward many months and I can say my issue feels like I am 90% back to normal through the use of tactics I learned on the podcast and through the two week course. So, what’s the issue? I cannot seem to kick an OTC sleep aid on difficult nights (1-4 nights per week). On these difficult nights, when I sense I am having issues, I take the pill, get out of bed then return when I am calmed down. I almost always fall asleep and still get 5-6.5 hrs. I am convinced this is in my head, and the pill is just calming down my hyperarousal, but I cant seem to gather the strength to kick it; because, “what if I have a full blown return of insomnia?” Facing the struggle (nights of zero sleep) I have not faced in months sounds horrible, but I know I want this last piece resolved.

I have a few busy weeks coming up including work travel. I have not traveled since my issue first presented, so this is very anxiety inducing. My plan as of now is to enroll in the six week course after this chaotic period and drop the pill when doing the course so I have at least some support and an actionable plan.

Have any of you had a similar issue where the pill was the last piece of the puzzle? How did it go?

[sleep]

I did not want to be on prescription pills so I went off trazadone. Benadryl seem to help me more anyway. I have taking it for almost 2 years but then it just quit working for me. So I tried Tylenol PM and i noticed it made my blood pressure go up. So I thought I am just going off everything and I did and I have slept fine.

Every now and then if I dont feel good I will take an ibuprofen but this is very rare. I just dont want to take pills and I feel my quality of sleep is much better. I have only been doing this for about a month but once I quit the struggle of trying to sleep and being reassured I will sleep when I get sleepy I have had such good sleep and peace.

[Martin Reed]

Welcome to the forum, @trailrunner85! It sounds as though you’ve made fantastic progress since finding the podcast and changing your approach (and response!) to insomnia.

Here’s the thing about OTC sleep aids. They don’t make sleep happen. Sleep is only ever generated by our natural ability to sleep. Sleep doesn’t require medication to happen. It doesn’t require a supplement to happen. It doesn’t require anything to happen — other than staying awake for long enough.

As you shared, it can be harder to kick the supplements, sleep aids, or whatever else you might attribute to sleep if you have nothing to “replace” those things with. You’ve been doing “something” to make sleep happen for so long, going without “something” might be somewhat of a challenge, especially in the short term.

It’s my belief that the best replacement is the practice of skills that can help you build skill in experiencing being awake (and all the thoughts and feelings that might show up) with less struggle.

If being awake, if experiencing all those thoughts and feelings, doesn’t cause a struggle, those things become less of a problem. When they are less of a problem, we set the stage for sleep to become effortless again.

You might find this YouTube Short relevant, too.

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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.

[amanda1201]

I’m in somewhat similar place. My sleep struggles (full blown, have had light versions of it throughout my life) also started last September. Since then, there has been periods of both good and bad. I’ve also consumed Martin’s and other coaches’ content, and it has helped, but nevertheless I still seem to have 1-3 nights (lately it feels like they’re on the increase!) per week when the struggle reappears from often what feels like nowhere. I also often reach out to some supplement / aid, and I honestly feel like it doesn’t even matter what the content of the pill is, just the *act* of taking something seems to calm my hyperarousal down. Today I just feel incredibly defeated because part of me thinks my brain should have had already got the memo and of course then there’s the part of me that thinks what if it’s something other than hyperarousal.. also thinking about the paid course because I believe I could use more support to really let the approach of leaving the struggle to sink and cement itself in!

[Chee2308]

Hello Amanda!

The final step is going cold turkey. Everything you learn about sleep goes out the window. Return to basics. Going to bed when sleepy. But that automatically means sleeping less which actually builds and strengthens sleep drive, and that makes sleeping much more likely to happen not less.

Think of it like this. Do you obsess over your own breathing? Or your heart pumping? Why won’t you start worrying if your body has somehow forgotten how to do the basics? This is exactly what you are doing about your sleep. You doubt your own body can’t do it automatically, or your organs have suddenly all forgotten how to do their jobs and now need all these pills to “refresh” its “memory”. How absurd is that.

Take the leap of faith. Stop doing anything for sleep. Stop being overprotective of it, what you are doing is actually reinforcing your insomnia. Going to bed at regular times is all you need, nothing else.

If your body wants to sleep, it will sleep. For example, if you starve for days, will your body suddenly refuse to eat when a table of scrumptious dishes is laid before it? Of course not. Similarly, your body won’t refuse to sleep on a comfortable bed if it is really starved of it! It is as simple as that. Stop making it complicated. Confront your fears head on and stop running away from it. Sleep is actually that simple and EFFORTLESS. Good luck.

[trailrunner85]

Thanks for replying. Sounds like we are quite similar. I wonder if as I have gotten a little older (I’m almost 40), my need for sleep has decreased. I used to regularly sleep 8 to 9 hrs. Now I feel pretty good on 6.5 to 7. I will have a few good nights not needing anything, and will sleep 7 to 8 hrs then have a tough night. Makes me think I really need to restrict my sleep so I get a consistent result. Perhaps I’m too rested and my body has no sleep drive. I have not because its just so different from my routine. I need to fully commit.

[Author]

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