[Cata]

Hi Martin and Wendy, thank you both so much for your responses.

I avoided sleep medication for a long time because I think part of me was always scared that one day I would have to stop taking it, and that fear would become a problem on its own. I’ve only been on sleep meds for around 7 months, first trazodone and then quetiapine. Over time I realized I slowly started trusting the pill more than myself, especially after a few nights where I couldn’t take it and didn’t sleep at all.

The first time I tried to stop, I reduced too quickly and it created a lot of anxiety for me, so this time I’m doing it much more slowly. I’m currently down to around 6mg, and even with such a small dose I still sleep pretty much the same as before. In a way, that has helped me see that maybe the progress isn’t only coming from the medication.

I still have many difficult nights, but lately I’m trying to stop treating every sleepless night or anxious thought as an emergency. I think I’m slowly learning that progress is less about the exact number of hours I sleep and more about how my life is starting to revolve less around sleep and fear (thanks to Martin course). Even when my mind tells me otherwise, I’m still here, still alive.
And yes… I also don’t understand how some people stop taking sleep meds from one day to the next, that sounds crazy to me 🤯 I wish I could.

[Cata]

Yes, this is definitely helpful.
I can see that after I wake up in the middle of the night, I start trying to fall back asleep, and that’s probably where I’m getting in my own way.

I also think I might be spending a bit more time in bed than I actually sleep, so I’m considering slightly adjusting my sleep window and just observing what happens, without putting too much pressure on it. It sounds a reasonable approach for me.

Thank you Martin!

[Author]

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