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First up, you might find my video on insomnia relapses helpful.
Next, I think it’s worth emphasizing that just as you experienced good sleep before, you can experience good sleep again!
Reading your posts, it sounds as though you might be putting a lot of time and effort into sleep — and that could be a reason why sleep seems to be so elusive at the current time!
Breathing exercises can help promote relaxation, but they can’t generate sleep. In addition, just as sleep cannot be controlled and doesn’t respond well to effort, our thoughts and emotions cannot be controlled (at least not for the long term!) and don’t respond well to effort to fight or suppress them.
Sometimes it can be helpful to simply ensure we are creating good conditions for sleep (for example, going to bed only when sleepy, getting out of bed around the same time each morning) and then focussing all effort and attention on living the kind of life we want to live when awake, during the day.
That is something we have full control over and doing things that help us live a rich and meaningful life usually has more of an influence on our quality of life than sleep.
I hope this helps!
—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 Ccteach622! Sleep hygiene doesn’t really do anything once we have chronic insomnia — sleep hygiene is more about reducing the risk of sleep disruption rather than fixing it. So, it’s no surprise that you have good sleep hygiene but are still unhappy with your sleep.
You said you can’t fall asleep unless you take a pill — if you didn’t take a pill but forced yourself to stay awake for 10 days straight, do you think you would still be unable to fall asleep without a pill?
Have you asked any of your doctors about cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I)?
—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, Nickey! Have you looked into cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I)?
—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 think you shared a big insight when you mentioned that since herbal remedies and lifestyle strategies seem to help sometimes, but not often, it might be a coincidence when they do!
A racing mind can definitely make sleep more difficult, especially later in the night when we have already got a few hours of sleep. Have you looked into cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) to help with this?
If you are falling asleep when driving, I would suggest talking to your doctor because such intense daytime sleepiness is not a typical symptom of chronic insomnia — another issue (such as sleep apnea) might be responsible for 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.
Thanks for the great question, Brian! With sleep restriction, the amount of time you allot for sleep should never be shorter than your average nightly sleep duration taken over the previous week or two — so it shouldn’t really be taking sleep away from you; rather, it usually takes away the opportunity for long periods of nighttime wakefulness!
I hope this helps.
—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, Joslyn! What kind of things are you currently doing in a bid to improve your sleep?
—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 joining the forum and sharing your story! How are you getting on since you posted?
—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! I am waiting to hear from someone with chronic insomnia who doesn’t recognize some degree of anxiety in connection to their sleep!
When you wake during the night, why do you think you find it hard to fall back to sleep? Does that wakefulness feel really unpleasant or does it feel quite comfortable?
—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! I think it might be helpful to clarify that the goal of getting out of bed during the night isn’t to make sleep happen (although that might be a bonus side effect) because sleep cannot be controlled.
Instead, the goal is to get out of bed when being in bed doesn’t feel good so we have a more pleasant alternative to being in bed when being in bed doesn’t feel good. We also prevent ourselves from reinforcing a negative association between the bed and unpleasant wakefulness.
So, with this in mind, it might be helpful to allow yourself to remain in bed when you wake for as long as being in bed feels good. No need to monitor for 20-minute chunks of time — just use how you feel as your guide! If being in bed doesn’t feel good, that can be a good time to get out of bed and do anything more enjoyable until you feel conditions are right for sleep.
I hope this helps!
—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 definitely aren’t alone, Sluck! Feeling nervous before going to bed is completely normal and understandable if you have experienced many nights of sleep difficulties!
Our brain is an expert when it comes to forming associations — just as our mouth might water when we smell bread because it associates the smell of baking with delicious bread, our mind might start to worry when it’s time for bed if it has associated the bed with sleep difficulties and uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, and emotions.
The good news is that since this association has been learned, it can be unlearned! We can do this, over time, by making sure we only go to bed when we feel truly sleep enough for sleep (we are finding it hard to stay awake) and it can be helpful to get out of bed whenever being in bed doesn’t feel good to do something a bit more pleasant instead.
The more time we spend in bed when being in bed feels good, the more we might “relearn” to associate the bed with pleasant wakefulness and sleep.
I hope this helps!
—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 Michael and welcome to the forum. I can’t recommend any review sites for sleep doctors but you might want to check out the provider directory on the website for the Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine.
In terms of whether chronic insomnia is psychological — that’s definitely an influence! There’s no real mystery behind chronic insomnia — it’s fuelled by our thoughts and behaviors. So, although there can be as many triggers for initial sleep disruption as there are people in the world, if sleep disruption sticks around for longer than a few months, the initial trigger is often no longer to blame — at that point, our sleep disruption is usually down to a change in our sleep-related thoughts and behaviors.
I hope this helps!
—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, Batgirl, and thanks for sharing your story and your completely understandable concerns!
First of all, please be reassured that there’s no evidence that chronic insomnia causes brain damage — and that might be because the body will always generate, at the very least, the minimum amount of sleep we need.
After five or six hours of sleep you will have almost certainly got all of your deep and most restorative sleep (N3 sleep) so an extra hour probably wouldn’t have a huge effect on how you feel during the day (that’s influenced more by what we do during the day and what happens to us during the day).
In any case, it sounds as though you are really making progress and you are sleeping better since you stopped taking the antidepressant!
May I ask what time you usually go to bed at night and what time you get out of bed to start your day in the morning?
—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! If only there was a magic “sleep switch” we could flick and make sleep happen when we wake after five or six hours of sleep! Unfortunately, there isn’t. However, the good news is that if the body really needs more sleep it will generate more sleep.
Sometimes we experience the most difficulties with falling back to sleep when we wake during the night because we really want more sleep to happen and we put effort into falling back to sleep. When we try to control sleep, we can make sleep a lot more difficult.
Does this help?
—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 really appreciate your kind words and appreciate you letting me know that you are finding the content here and on the YouTube channel 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.
Here’s a video about relapses that you might find helpful, too: When insomnia comes back: how to deal with insomnia relapses when insomnia returns.
—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.
