[Ladybrooke]

Hi everyone ! I am another desperate insomniac and hoping that this place can help. I so desperately need to solve this issue and I am sure many can relate . I have run out of things to try and could really just sit and cry…I am that tired. Generally speaking , I am up between 3 and 4 am and that is it…up for the day. Sometimes I fall back to sleep on the couch at 6 or 7 ( which I hate) and sleep till noon!. So I cannot sleep at night, but can sleep some mornings away. Once I get back to work, this will not be an option. The evenings ? Well, I cannot stay awake to watch a movie or socialize and eyes are closing by 8 or 9 . So I go to bed. Can I sleep once I get to bed? No…I cannot . This has been over 2 years of this hell. Hot flashes , insomnia, exhaustion is likely related to menopause , but it simply cannot continue as I barely function. I do not have much hope left as I feel I have tried it all. I also have PTSD ( diagnosed5 years ago) . I will do anything at this point .

[Scott]

Hey @Ladybrooke,

Welcome to the forum! You mentioned that you go to bed by 9pm and are waking by 4am but you also mentioned not being able to sleep when you go to bed. Can you clarify what time you go to bed, what time you get out of bed to start your day and, on average, how many hours of sleep you get at night? Have you experimented with the evidence-based techniques CBT-I offers to help those who suffer from insomnia restore their sleep? If so, were you having difficulties with specific parts of it? If you haven’t reviewed the techniques yet, I encourage you to take a look at the resources on this site and let us know if you have questions about it.

Scott J

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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.

[Ladybrooke]

i go to bed between 9 and 10 because my eyes are closing . I might fall asleep ( but sometimes I am up again by midnight) or am awake at 2 am. I am on the couch by then so I do not wake husband . Sometimes I can sleep again by 4 am and wake up by 5:30 or 6….this is when I start my day because I am so frustrated by it all and “happy” the night is over with as it is such a struggle. I average 3 – 4 ( sometimes 5) hours of broken sleep a night. Its truly awful.

[Scott]

Ladybrooke,

Based on what you mentioned in both of your posts, it appears that you’re achieving, on average, 5-6 hours of fragmented sleep each night. If you can determine what time you need to get out of bed each morning to start your day, you can calculate your bedtime by adding 30 minutes to your average sleep total and counting backwards that amount of time. For example, if I sleep an average of 6 hours each night and I know I have to get out of bed at 6am, then my bedtime is 11:30pm (6 hrs average + 30 mins). Once I consistently achieve 6 hours of sleep during the next 1-2 weeks, I can add 15-30 minutes to my total time in bed and start my bedtime that much earlier.

If you’re having difficulty remaining awake until your bedtime there’s a couple of options for you: 1) remain engaged in non-sedentary activities (prepare tomorrow’s lunch, make a grocery list, draw/color, etc; 2) shift your bedtime to an earlier start time. If you shift your bedtime earlier, I’d encourage you to consistently get out of bed to start your day at the same time every day, even on weekends.

If you wake during the night and become frustrated that you can’t fall back to sleep, you might continue to get out of bed, as you’re doing now, and doing something more enjoyable, returning to bed only when you feel sleepy. This behavior, over time, breaks our association between our bed and sleep anxiety/poor sleep.

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.

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