[Grace]

Hi All,

Having a tough day. I really feel like there is hope. I have been on my second week, and to be honest, I couldn’t follow through with the exact wake time every day because I got sick, and actually on the days I got sick, I slept really well but now the sleep phobia has returned, and I have continued to have one good night and one bad night. It’s a pretty bad yo-yoing. I have so much time now because of my sleep window.

I think one of the issues is finding something actually enjoyable and being confused on it so I can be distracted enough from very difficult thoughts. I think about sleep way too much.

Best,
Grace

[Grace]

I thought I was getting sleepy, but when I got into bed, I felt my heart pounding. I think the anxiety was kicking in. Then, I went to the sofa. I sat there staring into space and then tried to sleep again but obviously that backfired.

I think the correct answer to the workable response is to let the thoughts be. However, I don’t know how to let them be. I feel an urgency to resolve the thought of missing a meeting because (1) I feels real (2) I feel like I would upset someone and be a disappointment if I miss the meeting.

[Grace]

Stimulus control as in I got out of bed when I felt frustrated but this happened almost immediately when I touched the bed. So I was shifting from sofa to bed to sofa constantly. My heart would be pounding. Maybe I should have stayed out of bed for a lengthier period of time.

I was trying to make peace with my intrusive thoughts about the next day – that something bad will happen (I will be late, disappoint someone, etc.) and trying to get enough sleep. I did acknowledge its presence, but it keeps on coming back so I believe that the thoughts are real, and then I am even more frustrated.

[Grace]

Hi Both – I have had the hyperarousal issue as well and also gut health issues. But I did notice that the sleep restriction helps me recoginize sleepiness versus fatigue. I still wake up multiple and not always fall back to sleep. Keep working at it. Exercise and keeping a routine definitely helps. I have a 7amish barre class every week day that I really like so it motivates me to get out of bed even if I have no sleep.

I am going back to the office soon so not sure how I will do but I have been practicing commuting to the office this week. Rooting for you all.

[Grace]

Hi Sergio,

I was dealing with the same issue, and I am still trying to figure this out. I had a new, stressful job and whenever I had a bad night, I would call in sick or try to cancel my meetings at work. What happened is that I started to have trouble coping with any plans during the day. Work or non-work related, I would get nervous and start overthinking and feeling scared of the next day ahead. I also felt lonely…

I am slowly working my way back up. So I recently signed up for activities that would keep me busy and out of the home, but they are also things that I truly enjoy – art class and dance workshop. I also made sure I have a routine everyday – wake up, exercise class, etc. and try my best to stick to the plan. So hang in there!

[Grace]

So far the sleep restriction approach is working well. I have had good sleep both nights. However, my sleep window is still not set yet (I’m still working on finding the optimal amount of time), and this is causing me some worry. I set it up as 1am-5am, but last night, I just had a hard time waking up that I gave myself 1 extra hour of sleep. I know I should stick to the plan and probably give myself some slack since this is only the 2nd day implementing sleep restriction but will this one extra hour cause issues later on?

[Grace]

Thanks, very helpful. I think the current window works from 1am-5am works for me so far; I did it last night but I was still quite sleepy in the morning. I am hoping that in the future we can extend the window an hour longer but not much more. Is that possible or should this window be set for the rest of the course?

[Grace]

I am not a deep sleeper but I have the same fear of hearing the alarm sound. If I don’t turn it up high enough I also worry that I won’t hear it. I’m not sure how to get rid of the alarm phobia. I tried exposing myself to alarm sounds. Tonight I am trying a song for the alarm.

Not sure still what to do.

[Grace]

Thank you for sharing – Neal. I feel like this issue will never end but it is good to know that putting in the effort is going to help. Not sure if anyone is also working through a relationship because this puts a lot of strain,

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