Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
I did find it quite helpful! I have fonud myself getting sleepy pretty early into the buffer zone for the past few nights and have gotten into bed early and fallen asleep without problem most nights.
Priyanka, here is my take: there may not be a 1:1 in the type of anxiety you are expecting to prevent you from sleeping and the night of sleep that follows. Difficult as it is, I would resist the urge to predict how your night’s sleep is going to be. You just don’t know.
My best guess is good ol’ classic insomnia caused your poor night’s sleep. I would stick with the program’s recommendations, including the one to wait until you are sleepy to get into bed, but also keep in mind that they aren’t designed to “work” every single night by producing a ful night’s sleep. Instead, the recommendations are designed to help you make peace with wakefulness over time which, in turn, can reduce insomnia over time.
Thank you so much for these replies Kevin and Rubylight. It’s really encouraging to hear from people who get it and are on the same journey.
Kevin, you are so right about needing the occasional reminder that it’s not so bad after all! I would have never thought about it that way.
Hi Kevin and Ruby,
I stumbled upon these posts and found them really helpful. I’m going through something similar now and it made me feel good to hear that others have experienced a setback after initial success as well. How are you doing now? Were you able to get past those rough patches? Have you found it any easier if rough patches cropped up again?
Thanks for the update, @TaraH. I get the same way with TV sometimes – I know how long the episode is, so I’m kind of tracking the time in the back of my head.
How long did you struggle with insomnia before starting this program? I ask, because it may just take more time to unlearn our anxiety around sleep, even if we’re doing everything “right.” In the meantime, you can follow Martin’s advice of keeping an eye out for ways you are putting effort into getting a certain amount of sleep and work on ways to let those go. Good luck!
Hey Tara, before I started this program I got caught in the cycle of looking for the “perfect” relaxation to fall asleep – meditations, reading, audiobooks, etc. It all really made my anxiety worse. I think there are a ton of benefits from meditation when you’re *not* trying to fall asleep, but in my experience, it doesn’t work to try to use it as an “off switch.”
Is there something you would enjoy doing even if it doesn’t make you fall asleep? I’ve been watching a TV show at night and when my eyes start to get droopy, I go upstairs and get in bed (I read a little in bed, too). But the TV isn’t actually making me fall asleep; it’s just that in the process, my body is telling me I’m sleepy, so then I start my bedtime process.
Agree – until we get more details in a future week (I’m sure we will), I would get out of bed if you’re feeling really “frustrated” and stay in bed if you feel like you’re comfortably resting (even if you’re not sleeping). Good luck!
