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Mel, withdrawal symptoms…. there really weren’t any. Once I got going with CBTi and started experiencing some success, the next logical step was to taper off. The only “withdrawal” from sleeping meds would be psychological, and of course possible insomnia. But I had CBTi in place to help me with that.
I never considered suicide. I did CBTi because it is a safe way to manage insomnia and have a fuller life. I hear you that it’s overwhelming sometimes. Those nights can be long, and the anxiety around insomnia can become pretty heavy. But there really is help. Have you reached out to start Martin’s free course, or even better, Martin’s one-on-one course? Or looked for a counselor or specialist to help you?
Yes, that happened to me. I found myself taking more and more, even more than the maximum prescribed dose, and they just weren’t working. I think that’s very common with long-term use. What finally convinced me to seek help was 1) Frustration that I couldn’t sleep even with meds and 2) I was taking more and more, to the point that I was scared I might actually have a dangerous event.
One night, in desperation, I thought that I don’t even know how to sleep anymore. I felt totally alone–like no one had insomnia as bad as me or could understand what it’s really like. (How wrong I was!!!) I decided I absolutely had to find help, maybe a sleep clinic or….? I stumbled on a 90 minute round-table discussion on youtube with Martin and two other sleep specialists called “Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia: The Deep Dive”. In all these years with insomnia, and all the doctors I’d seen, not once had I heard of CBTi! This video just clicked with me, because I felt like they were telling my story, and there is hope!
I did Martin’s 2 week email course and have spent a lot of time in the last 2 months learning and practicing the CBTI principles. Quitting the meds wasn’t my top priority at first. Learning to sleep was. So I just cut back to a safe dose, then after I started gaining confidence, I started tapering down the dose, then finally quit entirely. It took about 6 weeks.
I won’t tell you that CBTI is easy. But it will work. Some people stop sleeping pills all at once, others like me taper off over time. But many people have found success. You really can do this!
Hello @MelH89. I think you will find that many people on this forum, and people who suffer from chronic insomnia in general, have a story similar to yours. It sounds like you’re tired of relying on pills, and they aren’t even working that well anymore. The short answer to your question is Yes! It’s very possible to end sleeping pills, even long-term use.
For me, I started CBTI without changing my sleeping pill usage at first. Martin said that CBTI would work either way, and I honestly didn’t believe it was possible for me to sleep without meds. But, as I started experiencing success I found that I had enough confidence to reduce the dose and finally stop altogether. I’ve done CBTI for 2 months. I took sleeping pills ‘most every night for over 14 years.
Under the Resources Menu at the top of this page there is a lot of great information. Some of the podcasts are very inspiring interviews with people who’ve been through Martin’s program, and many of them kicked a long-term sleeping pill habit too.
Also, if you’ve not done Martin’s free 2 week email course, that’s a great place to start.
Wishing you the best!
Hello @F.ardelean. When you say you did CBTI, can you tell a little more about that? When was this? Did you do it on your own or with a sleep coach? How long did you do it? What components did you do, and how much education and counseling did you get during that time? What were your experiences, both positive and negative, with CBTI?
Take heart. There really is help!
Sounds like a rough night Israt. I know how miserable and frustrating that can be. The good news is that your sleep drive will eventually kick in.
Did you do Stimulus Control too? (Getting out of bed when you don’t fall asleep and doing something til you’re sleepy.)
I think, especially at the beginning, it’s really easy to look at the components of CBTI as quick fixes. We lay down and think “Ok, I did it so now I will sleep.” But our expectation that it’s a “fix” to *make* us sleep just cranks up the arousal and anxiety. It’s sort of like going to the gym one day and expecting to see immediate results.
I’ve read someone on this forum who said they see bad nights as a “gift” because they know it will be easier to sleep the next night. It takes a while to get to that point, but hang in there. It really will get better!
Hello Rosi. You are not alone! I think you’ll find many of us here have had your same feelings, frustrations, and fears.
You spoke of the podcasts by Martin. Have you looked though the “Resources Menu” at the top of this page? I’ve found lots of excellent help there.
My epiphany came from watching a 90 minute round table discussion by Martin and two other sleep specialists on youtube called “Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia: The Deep Dive”. It was the first time, after decades of insomnia, that I felt like I wasn’t unique and there is hope. It also gave me a good basic understanding and jumping-off point for CBTi. And then Martin’s course was invaluable!
Also, on this forum, if you click on the Insomnia Success Stories, there is a long thread called “100% cured from postpartum insomnia” (or something like that). Perhaps you might find some parts of that discussion that are relevant for you.
Wishing you the best!
Good for you @Liliana. I’m assuming you are focusing on the principles of CBTI as a way to learn new behaviors about sleep?
Hello @Anastasiia. I’m guessing many of us on this forum can relate to your experiences. And, most of us have tried a lot of things to sleep — bedtime rituals, sleep props, meds, sleep hygiene recommendations, etc…. including mobile sleep apps.
What I’ve learned is that there are things we can do that might help in “allowing” sleep to come, but nothing we can safely do will “make” a person sleep except sleep drive–basically being tired enough. Some people find that sleep apps are relaxing and help them drift off. That’s wonderful! I personally haven’t had good luck with them, in part because I’m so focused on the *intent* of putting me to sleep. Once I get focused on trying to “make” sleep happen, I’m in that spiral of frustration and worry, which causes me to stay awake, which causes more frustration and worry….
The one thing that has helped me is to listen to an audiobook, something I’m interested in but isn’t so suspenseful that I want to stay awake and hear every clue. Right now I’m listening to a memoir. I enjoy it, but don’t feel like I need to catch every word, so if I do happen to drift off, great–the sleep timer will turn it off and I’ll just go back to the last thing I remember the next time I listen. And if I don’t drift off, that’s fine too because I enjoy the audiobook.
That said, I would have never gotten to this point without first faithfully doing the techniques Martin uses in CBTI, one of which is “Stimulus Control”–getting out of bed and doing something when sleep doesn’t come (for me that is to read in another room). And I still turn to this if I start to feel frustrated.
If you haven’t explored CBTI, you might take a look at the Resources Menu at the top of this page. There is a good explanation of CBTI, some great podcasts, and at the bottom is a link for a free 2 week email course from Martin. Highly recommend!
Wishing you the best!Way to go @Threadbare! It’s a key principle of CBTi, and can be surprisingly difficult to do. But I know for me it made an incredible difference, especially a consistent morning wake-up time.
Wishing you the best!Hello @Tlusebrink. I’m glad you found Martin’s podcasts. Under the “Resources” menu at the top of this page there are lots of helpful things. If you haven’t done Martin’s free 2 week email course (also found under the Resources menu), I highly recommend it!
Wishing you the best.Thank you for this Kristina. I’ve had chronic insomnia for decades, regardless of the ups and downs of life. I’ve been implementing CBTI for about 7 weeks now with surprisingly good results! I feel like I’ve got a handle on the main components of sleep restriction and stimulus control. I’ve spent lots of time learning about sleep, listening to success stories, and reframing my unhelpful beliefs. I’m weaning myself off sleep aids, which had become a serious problem. I’m feeling so encouraged that I’ve started sharing what I’ve been doing with family and close friends.
My biggest struggle is still letting go of the control and efforts, and what to do with my mind when I first get into bed. I know this is key. So I wait ’til I’m good and sleepy, then go to bed and say to myself, “Ok, I’m *not* going to try and make myself sleep.” But even if I try not to focus on sleep, quite honestly, that’s why I’m laying in bed–to go to sleep! So figuring out how to just let go and let my mind drift is something I’ve not yet mastered.
It’s really encouraging to hear a long-term success story like yours. Thank you! I hope to post something similar a year from now!
Hello @Edgar. Your story resonated with me. I too struggled with pills and alcohol at night. Good for you for taking steps to get it out of the house. I know the temptation can just be overwhelming.
I struggled with the easy “fix” of drinking myself into sleep (aka passing out), often on top of sleeping pills, and it got worse in the last year. One night when the tug-of-war was raging in my head, I saw crystal-clear that these really weren’t “fixes” at all. They were making me sicker, and if I chose to continue down this path I would either A) be an alcoholic or B) have a potentially fatal overdose.
I felt like I didn’t even know how to sleep anymore. That was terrifying! But I thought, there just HAS to be a better way. So I started researching.
There is help Edgar, and there is a much better way to deal with with insomnia. If you’ve not already done Martin’s free 2 week course, I highly recommend it. It’s kindof an intro to CBTI, and make no mistake, CBTI will take effort, commitment, and a real desire to find a true, long-term fix. But it’s much, much better than the alternative!
You may also want to look into getting an online or in-person sleep coach or therapist for a lot more personal support. Many people have found real help by working with Martin (you can see interviews on the podcasts, also under the Resources menu.) Or maybe there is a therapist near you who can help?
I started this change only 6 weeks ago, and it’s so much better. Best wishes Edgar. You can do this!
Thank you for this @sleepykieran!
Hello @sleepworry. Have you considered quitting or tapering off the melatonin to see if that helps?
If you want to learn more about sleep, I’d recommend starting at the *Resources* menu at the top of this page. First, there are Podcasts. Each is roughly 45 minutes, and you can tell from the titles which might interest you most. I gained a lot of insight and confidence from watching those.
Also under the Resources menu, there are excellent descriptions of CBTI and its main components.
Finally, the last bullet under the Resources menu is a free two week insomnia training. It’s an email training, totally free, and can be a great place to start for some people.
And, you can also sign up to work with Martin individually online or by phone.
Best wishes!
hello @naocaoper. It sounds like you’re really working to make some positive lifestyle changes. Way to go! A couple of ideas:
You could try to go it alone, using the free information and support here. Under the Resources menu at the top of the page, you’ll find lots of good information. I’d recommend reading each section, watching the podcasts, and most importantly, signing up for Martin’s free insomnia training at the bottom of the Resources menu. It’s a two week email training which will help you to start thinking about sleep in a different way.
Many of the podcasts you’ll see under the Resources menu are interviews with people who’ve found amazing help by working individually with Martin. Another thing to think about is signing up to work with Martin individually, either by phone or online. The sign-up button is at the top of the page and says “Work With Me” .
Whatever you decide, wishing you the best!
