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Daytime naps are usually best avoided if nighttime sleep is proving to be difficult since they reduce sleep drive.
Since people with chronic insomnia often try to nap in an attempt to make sleep happen (rather than because they are finding it hard to stay awake) they can find it hard to fall asleep when they try to nap — and that can generate more concern!
So, I don’t think your experience has any connection to Ambien use — but I am not a doctor.
—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 as though your focus might be more on the sleep hygiene stuff, which isn’t usually very helpful for chronic insomnia. Addressing the behaviors and thought processes that perpetuate sleep disruption is often more helpful (and often a bit more challenging to implement).
—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.
Wow, it sounds as though you are making great progress! It’s often easier to recognize that we might have been doing things that weren’t helpful once we have the knowledge, right? Before we have that knowledge, though, it’s totally understandable why we were doing those things!
What’s most important is making changes to behaviors and approaches that you know from experience haven’t been helpful or workable!
I am sorry to hear about the neck and head pain. If only there was a universal solution to getting rid of pain. Now, that would be a trillion dollar solution — just as a universal solution to difficult thoughts and feelings would be!
Unfortunately, there’s no “off switch” for the brain. There are some things we just can’t control — and, as you have been exploring, if we can start coming to terms with that, if we can be kind to ourselves when we are struggling, if we can start acknowledging the difficult thoughts and feelings we experience and then redirect our attention onto what we do have control over, we might be able to keep moving toward the life we want to live and the person we want to be, even in the presence of that pain and difficult stuff.
Thank you for sharing you are feeling encouraged and excited to have a plan!
You definitely aren’t alone!
—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.
Thank you so much for sharing — wow, 1 year and 2 year graduates right here. How time flies!
—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.
This is a great discussion! I think this video might be helpful here, too: The Stageshow Metaphor.
—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.
Welcome to the forum, Mark! You are 100% correct — tapering off medication can be very difficult! Are you implementing any other changes that can help create better conditions for sleep while doing 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.
Welcome to the forum — it’s good to have you here! You are not alone!
Thanks for sharing that you’ve been finding the videos and emails helpful so far — what are the most helpful things you’ve learned up to this point?
—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 doesn’t really matter how you go about this — I’d suggest discussing a plan for withdrawing from the medication with your doctor and then getting started whenever you feel ready to do so!
—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.
Welcome to the forum, Chrissy — and thanks for sharing your experience and insight!
I totally agree that the brain can generate helpful thoughts and feelings and unhelpful thoughts and feelings. Simply being aware of this can be so useful — because we always get to choose how we react to those thoughts and feelings.
Helpful? Great — we can react in a workable way (such as not crossing the street when it’s filled with traffic or jumping out of a moving car).
Not helpful? (What if you don’t sleep tonight?) Thanks, brain — I’ll now refocus my attention and actions on whatever is most useful at the current time.
You’ll likely continue to experience unhelpful thoughts (and reactions) for as long as you are a human being! Even if you learn new ways of responding to thoughts, the old ways will always be there — there’s no delete button for the brain, after all (if you learned Spanish, you wouldn’t then forget English, right?)!
Of course, this process is rarely easy — it requires practice — and, as you shared, our perspective can be a whole lot different after difficult nights or when we’re really tangled up in a lot of difficult thoughts and feelings!
Thanks again for sharing!
—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 sharing, DannoM — and welcome to the forum!
It’s probably not so much the anxious thoughts that are making sleep difficult — but, rather, the battle you might be engaging in, in an effort to fight or avoid them.
What can be more workable is acknowledging them and allowing them to come and go as they please. By making space for them, you withdraw from a battle with your mind.
You might find this related forum post helpful.
—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.
Welcome to the forum, Cassie! Have you tried implementing any CBT-I techniques to help address any habits that might be perpetuating your sleep disruption?
—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.
Welcome to the forum, Kylea!
It’s fantastic that you can identify, acknowledge, and name the thoughts and feelings you experience when you wake during the night! Do you also feel that worry or anxiety anywhere in your body?
You know, it’s not all that annoying stuff that your mind generates that can make sleep more difficult — it’s our desire to fight or avoid it all that engages us in a battle that makes sleep more difficult.
After all, our brain isn’t going to allow sleep to happen if it thinks we are heading into a war zone (or that we aren’t listening to it when it think we are in danger), is it?
—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.
All your questions have been great ones — I have no doubt this thread will be helpful for many people!
In terms of seeing mixed results with sleep restriction, that can happen if we misunderstand the goal or purpose of sleep restriction.
We aren’t trying to make sleep happen or avoid nighttime wakefulness since we can’t control sleep (and the more we try, the more we struggle).
Instead, sleep restriction is a tool that helps limit the amount of time available for nighttime wakefulness while strengthening the body clock (with the consistent out of bed time) and ensuring enough wakefulness to build sleep drive.
In other words, it simply can help set the stage for sleep, and help us avoid some common behaviors that can perpetuate sleep disruption.
Since we have an earliest possible bedtime and a consistent out of bed time, we are prevented from engaging in perhaps the most common unhelpful sleep effort — chasing after sleep by going to bed earlier, staying in bed later, or napping during the day.
Remember, too, that sleep restriction is merely one tool. It’s not really intended to address the cognitive arousal so much — that arousal often comes from our desire to avoid nighttime wakefulness. A sleep window doesn’t really address that.
If we can move away from that desire, the arousal that comes with it might have less power and less of an influence over our sleep (and our lives)!
—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 try to ensure all posts get a response — it might take me some time to get to them all, but that’s always my aim!
—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.
That’s great to hear — thanks for sharing!
—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.
