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Unfortunately with sleep, the more we try the harder it becomes. Sleep happens best when we eliminate all effort to sleep and any pressure we might put on ourselves to sleep.
Furthermore, when we’ve been awake for long enough, sleep will ALWAYS happen!
—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.
Things sound very difficult for you, Black_Tea. Thank you for sharing and welcome to the forum.
I think one way we can get really tangled up when it comes to anxiety is that, because it doesn’t feel good and we don’t want to experience it, we end up trying really hard to fight it or avoid it.
Unfortunately, anxiety is something that doesn’t respond well to our efforts to get rid of it (and, for a long as we are human beings, we will experience anxiety). The more we try, the more powerful that anxiety can feel — and the more influential it might be over our lives (and our sleep).
I wonder if a more workable approach might involve acknowledging the presence of difficult thoughts and feelings like anxiety and worry, being kind to yourself, and gently redirecting your attention and focus onto coming back into your body, coming back to the present, and engaging in activities that are important and/or meaningful to you — even in the presence of all that really difficult stuff?
The battle with anxiety is exhausting, distracting, and unpleasant. Perhaps just as (if not more) unpleasant than the anxiety itself. What might it feel like to withdraw from that battle?
—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.
Anxiety is difficult — and it’s one of those things that can become more difficult, the more we try to fight or avoid it. You might find this forum discussion helpful: https://insomniacoach.com/forums/topic/difficult-times/
—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 sure have been through a tough ride, Zenobia — it’s little wonder that you’re experiencing insomnia! Have you tried any of the techniques that are discussed on this site that might help create better conditions for sleep and that might help you deal with all the difficult thoughts and feelings that come with insomnia in a more helpful/workable way?
—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 aren’t alone, Tiredmom — many parents of young children go through exactly what you are experiencing right now.
Of course, there’s not a whole lot you can do to prevent your baby from waking you at night but there are many things you can do to help create good conditions for sleep and to help you respond to nighttime wakefulness and all the difficult thoughts and feelings that come with it in a more workable way.
Have you enrolled in my free insomnia sleep training course? That might be a helpful place to start.
—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.
Unfortunately we can’t really control our appearance (short of surgery) — just as we can’t control sleep itself. I wonder if a more workable approach might be engaging in activities that allow you to live a meaningful life, even in the presence of eye bags and dark circles?
—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 know, sometimes we have difficult nights — just as we have difficult days. What’s important is how we respond to them (since that’s always in our control).
We can end up getting distracted by them and move away from the life we want to live or we can acknowledge them, be kind to ourselves, and continue to engage in activities that keep us moving toward the life we want to live.
—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.
Strange things can happen as we drift between sleep and wakefulness (and the different stages of sleep itself). Ultimately, though, I don’t think anyone here is qualified to offer you guidance on your specific experience — so I’d suggest discussing the sounds you are hearing with your 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.
If you know from experience that going to bed before you are sleepy often sets you up for long periods of unpleasant wakefulness, it can be helpful to wait until you do feel sleepy enough for sleep. Since none of us can remain awake indefinitely, sooner or later sleepiness will arrive.
If, however, you know from experience that you often fall asleep even without a strong sense of sleepiness, you might want to simply go to bed as soon as your sleep window begins — especially if you are also implementing sleep reconditioning and giving yourself the opportunity to make any unpleasant nighttime wakefulness more pleasant.
—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 Bruce! What’s your goal here? What would you be doing differently in your life if you were getting the type (and amount) of sleep that you’d like to be getting?
When it comes to the daytime sleepiness — have you been evaluated for that? People with chronic insomnia are far more likely to experience daytime fatigue than daytime sleepiness — that excessive might suggest the presence of another issue (for example, sleep apnea).
—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 — there’s some big insights in your post!
—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 don’t think that’s any problem at all!
—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.
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.
