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Sorry to hear this has set you back Sairana. I’m having a setback myself unfortunately and have had a couple of nights with no sleep at all. Very hard to keep the anxiety down and not catstrophise but I’m going to try and go on with my day as best I can. Fingers crossed for us both.
Sairana, that’s great that you’re feeling more relaxed in bed and managing to get some deep sleep. The more you accept the thoughts and feelings and allow them to be there and not struggle against them, the more your brain and nervous system will not react to them. This will promote further relaxation as time goes and your sleep will follow. Your training your brain not to automatically react sleeplessness and to choose relaxing in bed instead. You got this ?
So sorry to hear that gsdmom ? I can definitely relate. The good news is that the neural pathways to the frontal lobe can be healed with time and mindfulness and meditation is one way this can be done. If you haven’t seen already, check out Tara brach videos on YouTube on healing from trauma ?
Good to hear that you’re doing well with your sleep, relaxation and acceptance.
May 2021 be a kinder year with more peace of mind for us all ?Hi Sairana,
Sorry to hear you’re struggling so much at the moment with your sleep. It’s a very tough Journey as most people with it know only too well. I have been struggling myself since march and have tried ACT on and off with varying success. I have suffered severely with this going nights on end with no sleep, then maybe getting some light sleep, then having disrupted sleep you name it. I truly thought I had lost the ability to sleep, that I had broken my brain but this is not true! Since November though I have been doing much better and although I still have relapses my sleep is way better than before.The key here is I was using the tools to TRY and sleep. I was even kidding myself in believing I was calm and accepting but I wasn’t deep down. This is more of a mindset, the tools used are to help you to come to a place of acceptance and this can take time. It’s very challenging and difficult especially when you’re so anxious about getting the sleep, but know there are many of us that have been here. Dragging ourselves through the day, feeling like you’re on the edge of existence, feeling completely hopeless. You CAN come through this though. It might take a little longer than you’d hope for but just take the exhaustion and anxiety for the ride and get on with your day as best you can. If you have anxious thoughts about sleep let them be there but don’t engage with them. If it brings anxiety let it be there, it will pass. The more you fight the tighter it grips. This was the key for me. Use the time in bed to focus on relaxation and the tools not as a goal to sleep but to simply relax. Once you do this the sleep will eventually follow. I’m still working towards full acceptance but I am suffering from health anxiety on top of this so it will probably take a bit more work for me. My sleep is now in a more manageable place, I am no longer going without any sleep and my bad nights are now at least 5 hours although they can be broken still. You’ve got this! You’re not alone ?Sarina, Yes it’s very tempting when you’re on your knees. At my lowest point I was going 3 days no sleep and then taking a pill then 3 days no sleep etc. In the end I found it just hampered the process but don’t be hard on yourself if you need them at the moment especially if anxiety is high and you’re still learning the mindfulness tools. I was taking them intermittently once or twice a week up until November this year just to give me a break until I was able to get at least some sleep without them. It’s amazing how long you can go with little sleep and the body still keeps going. It’s a process with the ACT and it can take time to reach acceptance and that’s ok. Others reach it sooner others don’t. You’re not alone ?
Hi R.E.M
I’ve not heard of the DARE approach. Acceptance can be hard and may take time. I’ve been working on it for a fair few months but I’m getting there and my sleep is definitely improving. Just keep at it and bring the anxiety and tiredness for the ride in the meantime (although easier said than done) ?Hi Sairana,
I wrote out a long post for you but it seems that it’s waiting for moderation at the moment! I hope it posts soon ?Hi Tee,
Sorry I never got back to you before. I was doing well with my sleep and didn’t want to rock the boat by coming on the forum and discussing. I’m glad you’re doing well with the ACT. I’m getting there too. I’ve had a few relapses but the main thing is I’m working towards acceptance and changing my whole view. Takes a lot of practice and time. Thanks for the tips about the YouTube channel, that’s great they offer the chance to ask questions and reply.Hi Deb and gang, I’ve been reading your posts about your ACT journey and found it helpful. I love how some of you did the journey together and was able to share your experience and support each other. I bought the sleep book back in April and have been trying to use this approach on and off since. I have been suffering with a pretty bad case of insomnia since March this year and as the time goes on I’m feeling less optimistic about recovery. I managed to get a week of good sleep the begining of September using the ACT method until I had the self sabotaging thoughts what if it returns, what if I can’t control my anxiety again etc and hey presto back to the beginning and I then give up on it. I guess I’m still not getting the acceptance part which I know is the key thing here. I also think I was confused thinking I was accepting but really I was just pretending that I was ok with it and not allowing myself to acknowledge I was feeling fear.
I’m going to try again with this and if there’s is anyone else out there wanting to try the ACT approach and go through it together, that would be great!Thanks for your inspiration
NikkiHi Scott, thanks for the welcome and for all the suggestions. Yes I’m definitely in an anxiety loop with this and know how it’s perpetuating it. I have been trying the ACT approach for many months but I guess I’m still finding it hard to get to the acceptance part, which I know is a key turning point. I lost most of my work during the pandemic as a community musician and only have work one day a week so it definitely makes things harder. I have been trying to keep myself busy with projects and get out every day for longs walks. I spent the day Sunday hiking in the peak distinct hills with friends. It was an early start long drive and long day out. I was physically pooped. That night I went to sleep fairly quickly but woke 2 and half hours later unable to go back off. It’s very frustrating! I don’t nap during the day simply because no matter how tired I am, I can’t.
I was a meditator before the insomnia and I make sure I do this daily to give my body the relaxation it needs and a break from my mind. My anxiety is higher before bed and in bed so I have been using a relaxation track recently to focus on instead of my thoughts and this has been helping me to drift off to sleep but unfortunately I just can’t stay asleep very long.Thanks again for your support
Nikki
