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You should be able to open the PDFs without buying any additional software, Lesa. Have you tried downloading the files and double-clicking them to see if they open? What device are you using (computer/laptop/phone)?
—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.
Hello Lin and thanks for sharing your reflection that things are improving. You’ve learned a lot over the past couple of months!
You’ve added an extra hour to your sleep window as an opportunity to rest — and that additional time feels good (and sometimes includes some sleep).
When you wake during the night (which is a normal part of sleep), you are choosing not to check the time. And you notice your mind firing up and generating thoughts, like all human brains do (they really are thought-generating machines)!
It sounds as though your experience tells you that you cannot control what your brain chooses to do.
With that in mind, perhaps trying to stop thinking or otherwise quieten your mind is something that might be making things more difficult? It’s like the more you try to silence your mind, the louder it can become!
And, if nothing else, the active effort required to resist might be the opposite of the passivity that sleep wants before it shows up.
What might an opposite approach to resistance and control look like, and how might you benefit from that?
—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.
It sounds like you are responding in a workable way — with kindness, acceptance, and refocusing (rather than harsh self-talk, resistance, battling, and struggling).
And, the more you practice that response, the more skilled you’ll become and the more like “water off a duck’s back” all those symptoms might become.
I would also add that if you are concerned by tingling in the arms and legs, it might be a good idea to speak with your doctor about those symptoms.
—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.
It sounds like you’re describing hypnic jerks — a common phenomenon which involves sudden sharp movements as we are drifting off to sleep.
So, in one way those jerks are a reminder that you can (and are) falling asleep. And, when combined with a lot of experience of struggling with sleep, they might be followed by your problem-solving brain firing up to protect and prepare you for the battle it predicts is about to come next.
As the expert on yourself and your own experience, what have you tried doing in response to those jerks and that rush of adrenaline — and what have you learned from what you’ve been doing?
—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.
You’ve been practicing observing your leg twitches before getting up and marching around. What have you learned from that different response? In what ways, if any, does it feel more workable to kindly and curiously observe rather than jump out of bed and nonchalantly march around?
—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.
If your intention is to make a certain amount or type of sleep happen, that might be more aligned with CBT than ACT.
If your intention is to use a sleep window to avoid chasing after sleep and avoid spending an excessive amount of time in bed (where it’s hard to do other things that truly matter), that might be more aligned with ACT than CBT.
There’s also a middle ground here — going to bed at 10:00 PM even though your sleep window doesn’t begin until 11:00 PM (for example) because you’re finding it hard to stay awake is different compared to going to bed at 8:00 PM no matter what in an effort to get a certain amount or type of sleep.
It sounds like you are finding a kinder, more flexible approach — that doesn’t involve trying to manage or control sleep — is the right way forward for you. And, with that in mind, I think you’ll get a lot out of the course, @tahmad.
When you say this kind of ACT-aligned approach “works”, what do you mean by that? Because if it means making a certain amount or type of sleep happen (or not experiencing certain thoughts per feelings) that might not be true acceptance — although you are the expert on you and I am not always successful at mind reading 😜
—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.
Not feeling sleepy is not unusual — especially if sleep has been a struggle for a long time.
You shared that you will wake some time between 1:00 AM and 3:00 AM so we know that at some point you are falling asleep — does sleepiness show up later, once in bed, or does it not seem to show up at all before you fall asleep?
On average, how long would you guess it takes to fall asleep when you go to bed at 7:30 PM and what time do you get out of bed to start your day each day?
—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.
Hello @richarlk 🙂
Yes — once enrolled in any of the course options you can book one-off 40-minute phone/video coaching sessions with me (subject to availability). There is an additional charge for those, which is currently $299 per session.
I hope this helps, and I appreciate everyone’s contribution to this thread!
—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.
You’ve been through (and are going through) a lot.
You are taking medication and your sleep still isn’t great. In what ways — if any — would you benefit from not implementing what you are learning in the course until your mood is better or you have eliminated medication?
—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.
Thanks for the great question!
How we sleep can definitely influence how we feel each day. And it’s not the only thing that influences how we feel (and how we feel can often vary and change throughout the day).
It sounds like the time you spend awake at night is calm, peaceful, and pleasant. So, there doesn’t seem to be any fatigue-inducing struggle going on there.
During the day, you are noticing physical body anxiety symptoms. What, specifically, are those symptoms, how do you choose to respond to them, and what are you learning from how you respond to them?
—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.
You recognize that without change, nothing changes — and change isn’t easy (especially when it’s important).
You might find it helpful to revisit the Week 2 materials in particular, if you are interested in exploring and practicing an alternative way of responding to all those thoughts and feelings that show up when you are awake at night.
—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.
Your experience of sleeping on the couch has taught you that you are able to fall asleep and generate sleep!
It sounds as though you have an awareness that the couch itself isn’t magically generating sleep — there’s some kind of issue that shows up when you go to bed that seems to result in conditions for sleep not being as good versus being on the couch.
You’ve identified that conditioned arousal might be at play here. Your brain has learned to associate the bed with battling and struggling. So, when you go to bed it fires up to protect and prepare you for that — even if you might not be involved in a battle or a struggle (perhaps there’s some past experience at play here).
Ultimately, you get to decide what you want to do — because you are the expert on yourself! If sleeping on the couch is a workable way forward for you, there’s no need to do anything differently. If you’d rather be sleeping in bed, what might you need to do to give that the opportunity to happen?
As for your other question — if you’d rather spend your wind-down time in bed reading a book, what, specifically, would you be trying to achieve by denying yourself (what sounds like) the more desirable action of reading in bed?
—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.
It feels like things are opening back up — a weight has been lifted — as you consider giving yourself permission to do whatever you want! That, in turn, chips away at the power and influence sleep has held over your life.
Your concern about blue light is valid and understandable. And, if blue light is what caused or kept insomnia alive, avoiding blue light would get rid of insomnia. Insomnia wouldn’t exist because as soon as someone found themselves struggling with sleep, they’d wear blue blocking glasses or avoid screens and everything would be good with their sleep again.
Since we know that doesn’t happen, we might determine that blue light probably has far less of an influence on sleep that we might have thought (and how many great sleepers watch TV at night and scroll on their phones in bed at night?).
With all this being said, you are the expert on you — and the opportunity always exists to conduct an experiment for a week or two, then reflect on what you learned!
—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.
Hello Jack 🙂
Whether or not tired eyes are a sign of sleepiness might vary from person to person since the definition of “tired eyes” might vary from person to person!
I’d suggest that if you’re finding it hard to keep your eyes open — especially if combined with other sleepiness symptoms such as a bobbing head — that could very well indicate sleepiness (which is different to fatigue).
If your eyes feel tired and you aren’t struggling and fighting to stay awake, you might be less likely to be experiencing sleepiness.
In terms of the cause of tired eyes, I know we’ve communicated separately about this, but for the benefit of others who might experience this I would say that tired eyes can be caused by many different things.
Sleep (or lack of it) and fatigue can definitely influence how our eyes (and many other parts of the body) feel — as can other things, such as air quality, heat, light, medical issues, etc.
If anyone is concerned by a sensation or symptom it’s worth speaking with a doctor. If there’s no medical cause it might come down to exploring what the most workable way of responding to such feelings or sensations would be.
—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.
I’ve heard so many different things that nothing really comes as much of a surprise or sounds unusual anymore!
I’ve heard of people experiencing twitches and other sensations when they are relaxed, others when they are alert, while others don’t seem to experience or notice anything at all.
You shared that you are starting to respond “less negatively” to the leg twitches — what does that involve?
—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.
