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It’s a shame to read about unsupportive spouses — I think this is a big challenge for people with chronic insomnia and is something that is rarely acknowledged. At the very least, everyone has an outlet here in the forum to vent their frustrations and get support from others who know exactly what you’re going through!
—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.
Have you tried 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.
You have certainly tried a lot of things, but I didn’t see cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) in your list. Is this something you’ve tried?
Your insomnia doesn’t sound unusual in any way, so I have no reason to believe that you wouldn’t find CBT-I to be helpful at getting your sleep back on track.
You might also like the podcast episode where I talk to Jeff — he often found it hard to fall asleep but when he gained additional job responsibilities and became a parent, those difficult nights became more common and this led to a lot of sleep-related fear, worry, and anxiety.
I think you’ll find that you have a lot in common with his story and that of others who once struggled with insomnia and improved their sleep using CBT-I techniques.
Good luck, and I hope this helped!
—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.
Glad to hear you’re doing better — thank you for sharing your story!
—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.
Have you discussed cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) with your son’s doctor?
When does your son typically go to bed at night, when does he get out of bed to start his day, and how many hours of sleep would you say he gets on a typical 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.
Why does the idea of getting up at 5:00 AM freak you out? I wonder if you could add some kind of enjoyable activity or routine to your day to make that out of bed time a bit more appealing, and to make your days a bit more productive?
When it comes to waiting for the start of the sleep window, I think the best approach depends on the challenge. If you are finding it hard to stay awake, then movement is usually the best strategy. If you are just bored then try engaging in a relaxing and enjoyable activity. What are your hobbies?
Some evening activity ideas might include:
* Choose clothes to wear the next day
* Make your lunch
* Marinate or start to prepare food for dinner the following day and store it in the refrigerator
* Gather old bills and statements and recycle/shred them
* Organize collections- photos, old letters, wine, books, or other items
* Catch up on laundry or folding clothes
* Do some stretches
* Go for a walk
* Sweep or mop the kitchen floor
* Sort out junk mail
* Play solitaire with cards
* Call friends who live in other time zones
* Clean out the refrigerator
* Make a grocery shopping list for the week
* Create a detailed menu for dinners
* De-clutter your coffee table, dining room table, kitchen countertops or desk
* Create a list of activities that you’d enjoy doing on weekends and vacations
* Work on photo albums or scrapbooks
* Choose one or two drawers to clean out (in your desk, kitchen, bathroom)
* Organize collections of CDs or DVDs and choose some to donate or sell if you no longer enjoy themI 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.
It’s quite typical for insomnia to develop in response to a medical scare but persist long after that initial problem is no longer an issue — and that’s because of the thoughts we have and the behaviors we implement in a bid to improve our sleep that actually make it more difficult for our sleep to recover!
If you are consistent with the cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) techniques you’ve been learning about, your sleep will become more consistent.
Thank you for sharing your encouraging words and personal experience, California Dreaming!
How are you getting on since you posted, Donna?
—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.
Everyone is different — what I can tell you is that it usually takes more than two days of sleep restriction before you’ll notice results. I am encouraged by your determination to stick to the sleep window and to avoid those daytime naps — 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, Tswezey. Nothing in your post sounds unusual to me — it sounds as though you are dealing with insomnia, pure and simple. The best treatment for chronic insomnia is cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I).
When do you go to bed at night and when do you get out of bed to start your day? When you wake during the night and feel very alert/anxious, have you tried getting out of bed until you feel calm and relaxed and then returning to 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.
Welcome to the forum. There is no magic pill when it comes to sleep — no supplement or pill is a long-term solution for chronic insomnia. The best treatment for chronic insomnia is cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). Is this something you’ve looked into, or tried?
—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 love the way you’ve reframed those hypnic jerks to be something you look forward to or welcome as a sign that sleep is on its way! Thank you so much for sharing this insight, @Joyous56!
—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 you’re both doing great! Thank you for sharing! That first night of improvement can be a real breakthrough and help motivate you to continue — it’s also evidence that all your efforts are worth 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.
Welcome to the forum. Your post is a perfect example of chronic insomnia — and for chronic insomnia, the best treatment option is cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I).
How are you getting on since you posted? You mentioned that you were doing really well but you hit a rough patch over the previous week. If you keep looking forward, it’s likely that your sleep will get right back on track all by itself.
It sounds as though you’re doing really well at identifying some of the thoughts that are generating anxiety — make sure you also take some time to evaluate them for accuracy. When you do this, you will almost certainly realize that the thoughts that are generating so much anxiety aren’t very accurate!
For example, how accurate is the thought that insomnia will kill you? Nobody dies from insomnia because after being awake for long enough, we will always sleep — we never lose the ability to sleep. How accurate is the thought that tomorrow will be ruined after a night of poor (or no sleep)? Have there been times when you’ve been able to get through the day after a bad night? Maybe noticed some OK moments? Maybe even had a good day?
This video might be worth a watch: What to do when anxious thoughts are making sleep difficult and leading to insomnia.
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.
It sounds as though you have bog-standard chronic insomnia, Lauriso. I doubt a hypnogram will be helpful since sleep apnea has already been ruled out by your doctor.
Have you talked to your doctor 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.
It doesn’t sound as though there’s a medical issue behind your insomnia since so many possibilities have already been investigated and ruled out.
Ultimately, there are only three perpetuating factors behind chronic insomnia — sleep drive disruption (this usually occurs when we allot too much time for sleep), body clock disruption (this usually occurs when we get out of bed at very different times each day), and arousal.
Arousal can take three forums — cognitive arousal (anxious thoughts), conditioned arousal (we’ve learned to associate the bed with wakefulness), and physiological arousal (for example, we experience things like a racing heart or cold sweats when we’re in bed, about to go to bed, or just think about bed).
The good news is that cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) addresses all of the perpetuating thoughts and behaviors behind chronic insomnia, and this is why it’s such an effective long-term treatment for chronic insomnia.
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.
