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How are you getting on, Arfoise?
If you find it hard to fall asleep even when implementing sleep restriction, you will need to add stimulus control to your “technique toolbox”. Over time, this will break the conditioned arousal you are experiencing, and — once again — make the bed a strong trigger for 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.
This is actually a very important observation — that the quality of our sleep has far less of an effect on our day than we often think. In other words, we can have an awful night of sleep but an OK day (or at least, we notice a few good moments during the day). Similarly, we can have a great night of sleep but a truly awful day.
So, the key takeaway here is this — our sleep has less of an effect on our day as we usually think and any negative experiences that occur during the day are far more likely to be caused by something other than our sleep (or lack of 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, Buzzy. Unfortunately, there is no evidence to support the use of melatonin or CBD oil as effective treatments for chronic insomnia — and sleeping pills are not a long-term solution.
Have you looked into CBT-I? It has a success rate of over 80% and is recognized as the most effective long-term treatment for chronic insomnia.
—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, yawning! If you feel indifferent towards sleep, what is your concern about sleep? In other words, what prompted you to find this website and join the forum?
—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 Christine. Although it is completely understandable why you would want to cancel meetings and rearrange your life around sleep, this is one of the worst things you can do if you want your sleep to improve.
That’s because when we rearrange our lives around sleep, we put far more importance on sleep than sleep deserves, and this also implies that we can somehow control sleep or compensate for poor sleep when we can’t.
In fact, the body does a great job of compensating for lost sleep by itself (more on that here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rhcwXPWEgw) and sleep usually only becomes a problem when we try to intervene.
In addition, when we cancel plans and stay home after a bad night of sleep, we only ever give our insomnia a bad outcome. We don’t give ourselves the opportunity to have a good day and recognize that the quality of our day isn’t always entirely dependent on the quality of our sleep.
Finally, when we stay home we are more likely to think (and worry) about sleep, be inactive (which actually increases fatigue), and even nap or try going to bed earlier — all things that make sleep more difficult.
—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.
Any update, Steve? A CBT-I practitioner who doesn’t believe in sleep restriction, who wants to use hypnosis, and who recommends medical marijuana for chronic insomnia doesn’t sound like a CBT-I practitioner to me. Is this person a licensed therapist?
—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.
CBT-I is the best treatment for chronic insomnia but it won’t be helpful if you have delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS) since that is a circadian rhythm sleep disorder. Your best course of action is likely to find a sleep specialist for assessment and go from there. Do keep us updated, and I wish you the very best.
—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 and I’m sorry to hear about your difficulties with sleep, Aeglaeca. I was very disappointed to hear that the first form of advice you received was sleep hygiene, melatonin, and valerian — because none of these are effective treatments for chronic insomnia.
You mentioned that you tried stimulus control and sleep restriction. Why do you feel these techniques didn’t work for you? Do you recall what kind of sleep window you were observing when you were implementing sleep restriction? When you implemented stimulus control, were you repeatedly getting in and out of bed throughout the 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.
It can be, but I don’t think it’s a very good sign of sleepiness — because we can yawn any time during the day as soon as we see someone else yawn!
If you’re reading, a common cue for sleepiness will be reading the same line over and over again, or reading an entire page and not remembering any of what you just read.
Other cues can be things like your head dropping down, heavy eyes, or struggling to keep your eyes open.
Have you seen this video from my YouTube channel? It might help:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KwrOcyUBt0
—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 like to think that “Way Out” had genuine intentions and simply wanted to provide some optimism and hope. Reducing anxiety and worry is certainly helpful but it’s a bit easier said than done!
—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, Vickster. Pretty much everyone here is struggling with sleep in some capacity — so you definitely are not alone.
Can you tell us a bit more about your current sleep pattern? When do you normally go to bed, when do you get out of bed to start your day, and roughly how many hours of sleep you get 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.
I love the support and camaraderie in this discussion topic. Supportive discussions like this are the exact reason why I started this forum.
Christine: The fatigue is real! With that being said, it is often less noticeable to others than we think — so this could explain why you feel as though you’re faking it so nobody can notice whereas the reality might be that people aren’t noticing it because you are actually coping a bit better than you think.
There’s a phrase commonly associated with insomnia: wired but tired. This refers to the fact that although people with chronic insomnia are dealing with very high levels of fatigue, their body responds and compensates and somehow manages to get them through the day. In other words, we become wired enough to function and remain alert enough to survive and even remain relatively productive.
Fatigue is caused primarily by inactivity rather than a lack of sleep. For this reason, resting on the couch for the day actually makes fatigue worse rather than better. As mentioned by delv-x, the best strategy is usually to remain as active as possible. This helps reduce fatigue. Activity also helps build sleep drive and make sleep more likely.
—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.
Do you (or have you been told that you) snore during the night? Do you ever wake gasping for air or wake with a choking sensation? If so, you may want to ask your doctor about sleep apnea — this could explain why you still feel very sleepy even after eight hours of 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.
Thank you for sharing your story. We welcome venting here! This is a supportive community and we are all here to help one another. I am sorry to hear about your ongoing struggles with sleep.
Congratulations on doing away with the unhealthy addictions. This demonstrates that you have drive, fortitude, and huge resources of mental strength — so, I think this can be harnessed to get your sleep back on track.
In all your dealings with medical professionals, has CBT-I ever been mentioned? If not, you may want to ask your doctor whether they think you’d be a good candidate.
—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 definitely sounds as though there is some conditioned arousal here, sleepyjon. In addition, since you have recognized that if you don’t fall asleep within an hour it will be hard to sleep at all, you are likely self-monitoring when you get into bed to check whether you are awake or not — and this immediately makes sleep more difficult.
What kind of sleep schedule are you following at the moment? When do you go to bed at night and when do you get out of bed to start your day? On an average night, how many hours of sleep would you say you get?
—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.
