[zoe]

Hi Katie,

I can completely relate.

I have also been to a sleep clinic and have been prescribed a CBT program. It is a notoriously difficult program but it worked well for me even though I had absolutely no faith in it at first.

It took about 2-3 weeks to show some real positive effects but after the first few weeks I could observe some changes in my sleep patterns even though I was still very tired and emotional. However after 2 months of following the program and seeing a sleep therapist, I slept better than anyone I knew. It felt like a super power, I slept like clockwork for about 10 days straight, and felt so grounded and stable, my brain chemistry was so different! When you reach that moment you then start to make the treatment more flexible, your schedule is more adapted to a normal life and it gets less isolating, you can “cheat” a bit, so your sleep is still good but not constantly incredible like that peak time (and it’s better this way). It lasts for a few months (years for some) as long as you maintain a good sleep hygene.

Maybe our programs are different, but mine was a lot about writing down and processing my emotions and reducing my time in bed. Getting up and going to bed everyday at the same time, 40min of sports everyday, no alcohol or smoking, no TV or work after 10PM, I had breathing excercises and directives on lighting (I usually use candle light at night) and if I wake up at night, I need to leave the bed and go sit in another room until I’m sleepy enough to go back.

I am actually relapsing at the moment and need to be stricter with the program, so I feel you, I too am completely exhausted and a bit depressed, the hormonal ups and downs really suck…

What helps the most is the sports I think, it’s also one of the hardest parts to maintain, no one feels like exercising when they are completely exhausted! I’ve started using an app that has helped me a lot, it’s called “Freeletics” and it portions out excercises for as long as you want, as difficult as you want and I do it at home because leaving the house is the hardest thing for me. It also has the nice side effect of keeping you quite fit under this program. But I do feel my serotonin levels being higher from doing the sports, I worry less.

Another thing that has helped is to try and trick my mind into changing my perspective. When I am meditating or feel resistant to a part of my treatment like for sports I’ll say to myself: “I am treating myself to this, this feels really good” and even if it’s not really how I feel at that moment, I think my mind feels more open to that possibility after a while.

Logging my nights has been a crucial part of the treatment, I have a sleep log that looks like a spreadsheet and map’s out all the hours of everyday so I can keep record of my sleep throughout the treatment and see how it evolves. It shows how many times I wake up, and somedays even if I don’t feel rested I can see that I wake up less and less every night. It helps me feel in control of my treatment and helps me de-escelate in the morning when I haven’t slept.

In anycase, the first part of the treatment is the sleep deprevation period (like we need more of that…) it’s hard but it’s very important to help train your mind towards associating the bed with sleep and improving your sleep quality. So don’t be too hard on yourself, it’s difficult and it’s normal not to get it all right the first few times, getting into a new routine is hard for anyone! But every step is progress and with a good sleep therapist to help you interpret your log and results, you can sleep like you never thought you would.

This is completely based on my personal experience and CBT treatments are often adapted to each person so if anything here contradicts what your doctor has said please don’t doubt your treatment because of it. I know how hard it can be to trust a treatment, but your doctor will know how to interpret your results and adjust to them to your needs.

I hope this helps,

Please don’t hesitate if you have any questions, I’d be happy to answer.

Cheers,

Zoe

 

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