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Yes, that’s very true and easy to remember during the day but the nighttime brings back all the fear…I’m still working on it. Thank you for the insight!!
Hi Martin, thank you for responding!
Actually, I would much rather have a sleep window of 10p to 6a as that was more natural for my body for years until insomnia. I’m also discovering, with the help of a couple doctors, that I have a serious circadian rhythm issue that seems to be related to a medical condition likely interrupting my sleep. I plan to continue with your course as I have developed sleep anxiety after so many years of insomnia and I can tell it’s helping with that already. You’ve taught me sleep will happen when my body needs it, and it definitely does…I slept 8+ hours last night with only 2 wakeups. That tells me I am not broken! 🙂
Thank you again,
aiwYes, I believe you’re right about us being alike…I’m also a worrier and bit my nails for years. I will keep things posted here and you too, as I’d like to hear about the results of your cortisol test. Thank you Edgar!
You can ask any question you like, that’s why we’re here, to get support for insomnia struggles. I’m hoping that adjusting my circadian rhythm and working on my anxiety (from childhood trauma and insomnia) will lower my cortisol. It takes a lot of conscious effort to overcome the triggers that cause constant anxiety…fight or flight mode, survival mode, hypervigilance, or however someone might describe it. And I may need some therapy to help with it, but in the meantime, this program makes sense to me so I’ll give it the best chance I can. I’m sure when I find the answer, my anxiety and cortisol will come down at the same time.
I’ve had two sleep studies over the years…the first said I was having panic in the middle of the night and the second said I had sleep apnea after only sleeping 20 minutes and waking me up to hook up a CPAP! I’m currently waiting on a callback for another just to see if the science has any new insights since the last time. I tried the CPAP for a month but couldn’t get a wink as my sleep is so fragile.
I honestly believe my cortisol being so high (but not high enough to be Cushings) is what keeps me awake and functioning all day. But I still would love to get a full night sleep every night as on the occasional 6+ hours, I feel great! As it is, my mood suffers greatly every day and it is very tough!
I am enjoying retirement as it took 43 years to get here…thank you for that! And yes, my insomnia started one night in April 2006 when I woke suddenly and the monster was born. I was going through some personal crises that affected my health for the 3 years leading up to that fated night. However, my anxiety issues started the summer of 1986, most likely setting me up for the insomnia to follow 20 years later.
I hope you choose to have the cortisol test and a sleep study as at least they give you some answers and possibly a path for resolving your insomnia.
Hi Edgar,
I’m so glad you came back…it’s nice to know I’m not alone in this and especially grateful to have someone to chat about all the nuances of such a long-standing problem. Thank you for reaching out!I did try the doctor’s methods (antidepressants and benzodiazepines) but, like you, it was only ever a short term solution and unfortunately the docs left me on them so long I had to taper off them and go through even more torture. My insomnia has always been the sleep maintenance type and I believe it’s related to my digestion, and/or a very fragile CNS, with a messed up circadian rhythm. I fall asleep rather quickly and can get about 4 hours sleep (sometimes less) and then awaken quite suddenly as if something wakes me up…it’s never a gradual wake-up like I would get so many years ago. My gut feeling is it’s cortisol release too early (circadian rhythm issue) as my 3am cortisol measurement is quite high. I was up by 3:30 am for my job for years also. Have you ever had your 24hr cortisol checked? I’m hopeful that adjusting my circadian rhythm and working through Martin’s course will help me regularly get more than 4 hours a night.
Martin’s two-week free email course was very helpful in overcoming the burden of insomnia during the day as it reframes the thought processes and relieves the sleep anxiety. I’ve been retired for 2 years now so coping and doing the exercises is much easier than it would have been before.
I wish I had some magic for you Edgar but I think Martin really has the answer for insomnia as most of mine, I believe, is due to sleep anxiety. Luckily, I don’t suffer much with exhaustion during the day. Is it possible you have another medical condition that may be contributing to the insomnia? Have you ever had a sleep study?
Hi Chee, thank you for chiming in and reminding me insomnia is just a very bad habit of allowing fear to rule your life. I read Sasha Stephens book years ago but it helped only partially. Finding Martin’s website has been invaluable in learning, and overcoming, even more about this illness and how it can take over your life. I’m only in my first week of the 6 week program but can tell what he says is true because sleep WILL happen no matter what and that’s very comforting!! 🙂
Hi Edgar…I’m still here and posting on the week 1 forum mostly but would love to chat with you about this horrid life disrupter called insomnia! Thanks so much for responding 🙂
The next two nights were exactly the same…push to make sleep window, then sleep fitfully for 3 hours, and the next night, not being able to keep my eyes open past 8, then sleeping well for 4 hours. I finished week 1’s lessons this morning and plan to have activities to keep me awake til the start of my window so I can build up sleep pressure and sleep in my window. I’m also going to write a gratitude journal and have a list of statements ready to counter the anxious thoughts about sleep when they arise. And do as much as I can during the day to minimize bad thoughts and feelings about lack of sleep. I think restarting week 1 more prepared will help me achieve its objective and get me back to sleeping better again.
