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The latest Insomnia Coach reviews posted to Facebook, Google, and the Better Business Bureau can be seen below.
The average graduate of my online insomnia coaching course reports:
Last updated: May 17, 2024
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My six-week insomnia coaching course will give you all the skills you need to stop struggling with insomnia so you can live the life you want to live.
Insomnia Coach Client Testimonials
The testimonials below are examples of how my coaching has helped others. Your results may vary. No compensation was provided for these testimonials. Testimonials may have been edited for clarity and relevance.
Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment.
I’m doing so many more things again
My insomnia had taken me to a place where I believed that I was dying. I lived in fear and intense anxiety every day and went on sleep medication for the first time in my life which felt very scary.
The harder I tried to fall asleep the worse it got and every night I dreaded going to sleep. I was so ready to commit myself to doing something different to produce different results.
As I worked through the online course it was so freeing not to have rigid rules around sleep or to practice sleep hygiene. I’ve been able to face my anxiety and look at why it started and how to move forward with it.
I’m doing so many more things again, including planning a trip to Ireland. I never thought I would be able to travel and sleep in different beds, but now I go to visit friends in the region and sleep much better.
This course is a very effective way to approach insomnia.
I can go about my life regardless of sleep
I am a very hard working, focused, results-oriented person, so when my insomnia started and worsened I did what I usually do, which was to research everything, everywhere and seek a cure. This took me down a rabbit hole of medical tests, YouTube “sleep gurus”, meditations, some meds (which I did not use for long) and supplements.
I was desperate, and felt I was losing myself. Sleep and lack thereof became the major focus and obsession of my days. I could not go through an hour without the thoughts of insomnia and how awful I felt all the time.
Before this course I felt like nothing was working. I had previously done a CBT-I program with a coach, but the constraints were so tight, it was causing me more stress trying to do everything right and in the right order. I tried very hard to follow the programs and rules (sleep hygiene, supplements, sleep restriction, circadian rhythm enhancing behaviour, etc.) as perfect as I could. I would sometimes see results, but then a relapse would happen and throw me for a loop.
It got to the point where I started having sleep paranoia. I would track everything and if I had a bad night, would check to see if I did everything in the right order. Even though intellectually I knew I slept very well all of my life without these new behaviours, I was seeking to find cause and effect relationships to help me better get predictable sleep again.
The Insomnia Coach course was focused on life actions, skills and attention on things that could lead to better sleep but more on getting back to living and enjoying life again. I had similar advice from a cousin who is a doctor, but this course actually had a process, flow and structure to help get there.
Also, Martin responding to inquiries, questions and comments in a more guiding, questioning way, makes you more engaged in an answer that could work for you, rather than telling you what to do.
I thought the course was proving helpful when I stopped tracking my sleep, was not afraid to watch TV after 9pm, could actually stay in bed if it felt good while I was awake at night, and generally loosen up all the newly developed strict behaviours and concerns I had about sleep.
I am now focused on a future where I can go about my life regardless of sleep issues. I am more engaged in the present and optimistic about the future.
I am no longer crippled by anxiety
I had been struggling with insomnia and my anxiety was terrible. There were days when I was considering checking myself in to the mental hospital.
I was canceling plans, calling in sick to work, and considering canceling all my vacations this year. My obsession and anxiety around sleep controlled my entire life. It was truly the hardest thing I’ve been through.
I felt so defeated and discouraged. I thought something was wrong with me or I was “broken” because everything that was supposed to work (sleep hygiene, sleeping pills) was not working for me.
This course was different. It actually worked! There is a lot of emphasis on the fact that sleep CANNOT be controlled. An emphasis on the fact external things do not produce sleep.
I liked that there was no sleep journal or excessive tracking of sleep. There was a quick response to emails. Lessons were short but packed with good information. The weekly lessons were easy to complete within a couple of hours.
A few days into the first week of the course, I fell asleep on the couch without even trying. The light was on, I had no pillow, and the fan was not on. I realized when I woke up that all of my efforts to create the perfect conditions for sleep were useless, because sleep was going to happen on its own terms.
My nights and my days are so much better now I have completed the course. I am no longer crippled by anxiety or depression that comes with lack of sleep. I am not preoccupied with obsessive thoughts about sleep and how to make it happen. I am no longer afraid to travel, because I know that I have the tools to deal with the occasional sleep disruption that will inevitably show up in life.
This course has built a new better me
I was anxious, scared, totally preoccupied with sleep. Researching, meds, docs, latest sleep hygiene, no blue light blah blah blah! Insomnia tore me down to a sobbing, anxious wretch.
The course provided me an opportunity to really look at my relationship with sleep. It gave me hope and a workable way to deal with difficult thoughts and feelings.
It provides education and practical step by step guidance and suggestions on how to make things better. It was an amazing experience. Eye opening and instructional. After the first week I went off sleep meds. I have freed up gigabytes of brain space now that I am not consumed by sleep!
The client forum was great as well. I think being able to gain support from peers is a huge part of any recovery program.
Enroll in the course! It will be one of the best things you ever spent money on. This is something that has the potential to change your entire life for the best. It’s not just about sleep.
This course has built a new better me and I’m 62 years old. Who says you cant teach an old dog new tricks!
Life looks very bright!
Things were pretty rough before I started the course. I attributed my good nights to some supplement, tactic or ritual and eventually a bad night would come and I’d be scurrying around the internet, looking madly for another solution. I spent a lot of time obsessing about the quality of my sleep and I did forgo activities that I thought I couldn’t enjoy without a good night’s sleep.
It felt hopeless, I felt sad and I was tired of feeling this way. I needed a change and Martin’s course arrived just when it was supposed to.
This course is based on science, expertise and human connection (Martin and students). I realized the course was proving to be helpful when I went to bed when I was sleepy and when I threw out all the sleep hygiene tips and just let sleep happen. Also, when I had a bad night, I didn’t worry about it so much. I saw it as an opportunity to practice with the new tools I now have.
I liked Martin’s kindness and inclusive language, not labeling behavior as “bad,” but telling me it’s okay to feel a certain way. The course content builded upon each week’s lessons, culminating in a whole program that I plan to revisit and practice as I move forward in living a “big” life 🙂
If you are trying to decide whether to enroll, I would say do it! The intensive, deep dive into the program is well worth the expense. I saw it as an investment in me! Now I have completed the course life looks very bright! A huge, old weight of insomnia has dissolved and I am very grateful to this program.
I worry less about sleep
I’ve never been a “great sleeper” and remember lying awake at night as a kid. As an adult, for years I took trazodone to help with sleep, then it stopped working, even though I increased the dose. I had a terrible time with insomnia.
I would fall asleep pretty quickly, then wake up at 2 or 3 and maybe I’d sleep a little more at 4 or 5 or not at all. I couldn’t read the paper or a book for any length of time as it would make me fall asleep and I don’t want to nap and further ruin my sleep.
I had tried a 4 week CBT-I course and did not find that course helpful. I realized I needed more help… so I enrolled in Martin’s online course.
The education component in week one was really reassuring for me. I also really appreciated week 6 (I think it was in week 6) where Martin said, “What would it be like if you didn’t have insomnia, didn’t keep a sleep window,” basically, if you weren’t a hot mess etc., what would your life be like? This said to me, “Only you can get out of your own way”. His phrase, “The body will always give you the sleep you need” is very reassuring.
I now watch TV and am on my phone right up to the time I feel tired enough to sleep and I fall asleep quickly. If I wake up in the middle of the night I stress less about it. If my alarm clock wake me up, I don’t turn it off to sleep more. I worry less about sleep.
If you are trying to decide whether to enroll in the course, run — don’t walk — to your computer and enroll today. Seriously, I found this course to be very helpful.
I’m more focused on life
I had a lot of anxiety and was scared about sleep and not being able to sleep. I thought something was seriously wrong. The frustration was very stressful. I was stressed all day about not being able to sleep.
For those trying to decide whether to enroll in the course I would tell them that you have to apply the techniques in order to see some improvement. It also takes time and you can’t expect to see changes right away!
Now I have completed the course I’m more focused on life than I was a few months ago when I was so focused on sleep and feeling anxious.
I’m more relaxed and more alive
I was stuck with Ambien and daytime fatigue and an obsession with getting enough sleep. Things felt hopeless. I was locked up real good in the puzzle of sleep and lived a very “avoid the taboos” life — be in bed early, take naps, anything to avoid the horror of bad sleep.
This course made a lot of sense, it was assuring, it was confident. It was so great to hear I’m not broken but stuck. It was so nice to know that rules and fetishes about sleep hygiene are meaningless.
Hearing the information in week 1 had me already singing a different tune about night times. I made sense and left me hopeful. I most liked the delivery in small chunks over many weeks. I liked Martin’s style and repeated phrasing, so I could anticipate some of the answers to things after a few weeks. He taught me the chorus that we need to keep going back to.
I’m more focused on a life well lived, without fear and obsession about sleep. I’m more relaxed and more alive. The course is brilliant and worth the investment of time and money. If you want to deal with insomnia this is the way to go.
I am no longer struggling with insomnia
I couldn’t understand why I couldn’t sleep. I used to experience sleep anxiety in the evening, which lead to the struggle during the night. It was awful. The frustration that I felt left me feeling angry, sad and helpless. I had no idea that I was doing everything to fuel my insomnia.
Martin clearly described what insomnia is and isn’t. He honed in on what keeps the insomnia going and offered us tools to use. Prior to this course I had 4 visits with a therapist. Those visits were very helpful but I felt like I had only scratched the surface (insomnia was not her specialty). I needed to get more information and I found it, and then some, in this course.
Now my life is much better as I am no longer struggling with insomnia. If I have a few bad nights, that’s ok as it doesn’t impact greatly what I do the next day. I feel 100% better now that I am no longer battling, as that was my biggest issue. I no longer feel anxious about nighttime wakefulness.
If someone was trying to decide whether to enroll in the course would tell them to go ahead and invest in themselves, to look after themselves.
I have stopped being afraid
I had improved with CBT-I but the techniques were labor intensive, hard work, and I started to rebel against them so sleep deteriorated. The course I took before this one was a money grab, there was no real desire to empower me as this course did.
I hear most of the Insomnia Coach podcast guests say they are happy they had insomnia and recovered from it with this course. I never would have believed that but I now share that statement.
I have stopped being afraid and I would like to recommend you to my patients.
Life is much better now
Life was a struggle as I was never sure when insomnia was going to pop its head up. Also when it did I knew I needed to be calm about it but I wasn’t actually sure how to be calm. How to calmly experience that wakefulness and all the thoughts that come with it?
I definitely was walking on eggshells and not living my best life at all. I didn’t want to go away or sleep anywhere but home as I was unsure of how I would spend my nights if I was struggling. I didn’t enjoy my days at all after a rough night — I said no to a lot of social outings as I thought I looked tired and felt terrible.
I tried many things — my doctor gave me one script of sleeping tabs of which I used about half as I really didn’t want to use them… I tried everything possible… Improving sleep hygiene (what a joke), every over the counter medication one could think of, natural medications, alcohol, I was frustrated but more so I was scared and felt hopeless and most of all alone. My family were so supportive but no one really understands unless they are going through it themselves, which is why this course was so helpful.
I loved the course videos as opposed to reading information also the provided tools have helped me when in the struggle. The client forum is invaluable as there is always something that resonates with me.
Life is much better now. I feel much better within myself. I don’t stress anymore which is the big thing and I know that I will sleep if I get a rough night. I don’t struggle much and know that there are tools I can use if I need them.
If someone was trying to decide whether to enroll in the course I would definitely encourage them to enroll.
Transformative
I felt scared and alone, like I was in a deep hole. I was afraid to go to bed at night. I thought it was all my fault, I wasn’t doing it right. Everyone else could sleep, so I figured something was wrong with me. I got way too much advice, and none of it was helpful. It was all based on sleep hygiene and special tricks, supplements, etc. Nothing worked. The harder I tried, the worse things got.
Honestly, this course was the first thing that really made sense to me. The paradigm shift for me was the idea that I didn’t have to get out of bed if I was comfortable there, and that I didn’t have to follow all these rules. This course also aligned with what I was beginning to learn in my meditation practice about allowing and observing my thoughts and feelings.
Martin’s videos are so comforting and encouraging, they really motivated me to stick with it! One night I found myself awake and instead of panicking, I thought “What would Martin do?” 🙂 I realized I had some choices. I didn’t get all worked up. That’s when I realized I was starting to internalize the lessons.
The course was totally worth it! I found it transformative. It changed the way I think about sleep difficulties and it made insomnia a lot less scary.
I got my life back
My life and career was in shambles. I was calling in sick to work. I was spending hours in bed awake wasting days away. I was watching my wife do things with my kids I should too have been doing. I was losing my family…
Insomnia was the worst thing I’ve ever gone through. I was in the military and went through a fire academy — this was the hardest thing I’ve ever experienced.
This course opened my mind to accepting others have sleep issues — I wasn’t alone. This course really cleared my head and gave me confidence. I got my life back, my career is back on track too. My family is back together. Take the leap — you will see changes in your sleep. I am so grateful I did.
Go for it!
I felt I was living the darkest part of my life and felt so lonely. I felt nothing was working longterm. I was so desperate to find something and someone to help me go through this!
If someone was trying to decide whether to enroll in the course I would tell them to go for it! Don’t wait or linger! The info, techniques and support help lift the pressure and support a better life with insomnia! You don’t feel that insomnia is this bad monster anymore and you get to learn more about yourself and unhelpful behaviours. The obsession that I had about not sleeping has reduced significantly.
My life has undergone a transformative shift
I found myself trapped in a cycle of worry, especially during the nighttime hours. As I lay awake, my mind would spiral into thoughts of my health deteriorating due to the lack of sleep. These thoughts further fueled my anxiety, creating a vicious loop where sleeplessness and anxiety fed off each other.
One of the aspects I found most valuable in the course was the emphasis on adopting a different approach towards dealing with insomnia. Rather than trying to combat insomnia head-on and struggling to forcibly suppress it, the course taught me a more constructive and effective strategy. I gained a newfound sense of empowerment over my sleep struggles.
Now that I have completed the course, my life has undergone a transformative shift. The approach I learned through the course has had a profound impact on how I approach insomnia, challenges, and life in general. Instead of being dominated by anxiety and frustration, I’ve cultivated a sense of calm and acceptance that permeates various aspects of my life.
I’ve reintegrated activities that I enjoy, like watching shows with my husband and reading thought-provoking books, without the fear that they might disrupt my sleep. This has allowed me to regain a sense of normalcy and pleasure in my daily life, free from the restrictions I used to impose on myself.
This course goes beyond just offering a quick fix for insomnia; it equips you with a comprehensive set of tools and strategies that extend far beyond the realm of sleep. I wholeheartedly recommend enrolling in this course.
I feel reborn
I was always afraid of sleepless nights. I would fight. I would fail. My confidence would be shattered. I would try to force myself to sleep. I would feel angry and disappointed and feel like I was losing something in my life. I was not the person I used to be and I didn’t live my life to the fullest.
This course is realistic and life changing, better than taking medicine. It’s concise and precise. Now, I don’t even think about insomnia. I am not treating insomnia as my enemy. I feel much better now. I feel reborn to the person I used to be. Now I live my life to the fullest. I can live my life like I used to. I can work, enjoy life, sometimes party at night, and I don’t have any problem with sleep.
My hope began to build each day
I would wake after one or two hours and experience fear and shock. Nothing I did to improve things helped and some made the problem worse.
The education gained from the course and personal commitment are the key to getting past the fear and the insomnia. After about four weeks I found my relationship with sleep was becoming more natural and my hope began to build each day.
I know I have the tools and commitment I need to continue to progress. Time, patience, practice, and faith are what it takes. Martin has been a blessing in my darkest hour.
My mindset has changed dramatically
My life revolved around sleep and how much I was getting and needed. There wasn’t a day that went by where I didn’t think about it. I resorted to over the counter meds and tried every sleep hygiene technique out there. I had a real problem with trying to control sleep by chasing after it, which brought me down this giant rabbit hole!
I felt depressed and full of anxiety on a daily basis. There really was nothing that was working and it was a true struggle for me.
The online course taught me that sleep is just sleep! There are more important things in life and the values that we want to live by. It allowed me to move away from chasing after sleep and be more accepting of wakefulness. I am being kinder to myself and handling nighttime wakefulness in a more manageable way.
I am sleeping better now than what I was 6 weeks ago. I am still a work in progress but my mindset on what’s important in life has changed dramatically!
I have a new lease on life
I’d struggled with insomnia for 30 years and used sleep medication to cope.
I was so exhausted from not sleeping well, but didn’t know what to do to make it better. Even though I was told by the medical profession I could no longer take medication, I got very little direction on what to do to help myself. I was frequently angry that I had a situation that impacted every part of my life, yet I had no control over making it better.
I had very little patience, too. I wanted results now! Since I am 75 yrs old, I also felt that I was running out of time and there’s so much more that I want to explore in this life.
I’d tried two other programs before this without any appreciable success. I was pretty much at my wits end but decided to give it one more try with this course. This is the best course I’ve taken. It’s comprehensive but flexible.
This course focuses on living your life in spite of difficult nights, and difficult thoughts and feelings. It has many tools to choose from to help deal with the difficult thoughts, feelings, and difficult nights.
This course never suggested that we need to buck up and change our attitude. This course is much more flexible. It did not require tedious recordings in a sleep log or eliminating caffeine, alcohol or other foods we may enjoy.
I’ve learned through this course that even with an hour of sleep I can still go out and play 18 holes of golf. I can still socialize with friends and travel on vacation. I’ve learned that even though I have no control over my sleep, I have complete control over my behavior and my actions. And this is where the sweetness of life is really found.
I am no longer concerned that I’m running out of time. I have a new lease on life. I’m living my life each day in accordance with my values.
My sleep anxiety has gone down dramatically
I felt hopeless and so upset at times and really just wanted a quick fix and for insomnia to just go away. This created a lot more tension and stress. The more I worried, the worse my sleep became. I felt stuck.
This course was a lot more involved than other courses and also really challenged my perspective on sleep. I feel this course really changed my approach to sleep in general and is helping me face the fear itself.
My sleep anxiety has gone down dramatically and I feel much more relaxed about insomnia in general. I no longer worry about the grip it has on my life and I feel confident that my sleep will only continue to improve with the tools and information that I have learned in this course.
It’s a long-term solution
My sleep was very bad. It would often take over an hour to fall asleep, I would wake 10-15 times a night, and spend large periods of time awake at night. I was worrying about sleep constantly. I felt like I had a special kind of insomnia, or a hormone imbalance that was very difficult to treat because nothing was working.
The Insomnia Coach course made so much sense and didn’t involve medication or supplements. It’s a long-term solution in mindset and behavior. It’s literally the only resource that I found that helped me. Please don’t search around on the internet, there is just an endless stream of very counter-productive rubbish out there. Martin’s course is so evidence based and sensible.
A huge confidence booster
Before finding Insomnia Coach I had tried everything, mainly sleep hygiene techniques. I tried edibles, melatonin, rubbing my body with lavender lotion, changing my diet to foods that promote sleep, meditation, making my room extremely cold, blackout curtains, cutting out all caffeine and sugar, yoga before bed, no TV after 9:00 PM, blacklight blocking glasses, excessive exercise, Trazodone, Seroquel, Tylenol PM.
Nothing worked. I thought that I was just destined to a life of terrible sleep.
This course allowed me to see that all the other sleep hygiene methods and medications were not long term solutions that were getting to the root of my problem. I realized the course was proving to be helpful after a few weeks. This was when I began to feel an extremely strong sense of sleepiness around bedtime for the first time in nearly two years and it was a huge confidence booster. I went from dreading going to bed at night to looking forward to going to bed.
I recently interviewed and received an offer to a new job. In the past I was afraid to interview for a new job because I “knew” I wouldn’t sleep. I actually slept halfway decent and landed the job which was a huge roadblock in my life. I am now sleeping around 6-7.5 hours a night usually. I still have rough nights but I am a lot better at identifying what caused the rough night and not letting it get me down. I just move on and know that my sleep drive is building for the next night.
A significant improvement in the quality of my sleep
Sometimes I would have trouble falling asleep and other times I would wake up in a panic in the middle of the night and feel terrible about the fact that I was awake.
One bad night would set off a nasty cycle of anxiety and I would spend my days obsessing over how I would sleep that night. I usually ended up taking one of my prescription meds (Ativan, Hydroxyzine, Xanax, and others), and would pray for it to work because I believed I wouldn’t sleep otherwise.
Martin uses evidence-based strategies that have helped the majority of insomniacs improve their sleep in the long term. I figured if it works on the most stubborn cases of insomnia, it could work for me as well.
I learned a lot about sleep, which reduced my fear of insomnia significantly. I didn’t believe that I could ever let go of that fear of insomnia, but I now see that it’s possible.
I noticed a significant improvement in the quality of my sleep. Also, when I was only a few days into the course, I realized that I wasn’t scared to go to bed. That was huge for me.
I also liked the fact that Martin was very responsive and gave great advice and guidance. I was able to e-mail him with any concerns or questions, and he addressed them promptly.
Today, I barely think about sleep and when I have trouble sleeping I get frustrated, like a normal person, but I don’t panic. I also haven’t taken any sleep meds since the first week of the course!
I began to enjoy life again
I was only getting a few hours of sleep a night, if that, and was EXTREMELY anxious/panicky. I got panic attacks frequently. I cried because I was exhausted. I thought I was experiencing awful post-partum anxiety and depression, but this was simply linked to my lack of sleep. I hated my bed and did not look forward to sleep or bed time. I dreaded the days where I was utterly exhausted and felt so BLAH!
I really struggled with insomnia and the anxiety it created for me, which was very challenging with a newborn, navigating my life as a new mom.
I used to hate nighttime and thinking about my bed made me anxious. It created a lot of shame for me and I also resented others who could sleep and enjoy their lives. I resented my husband for his ability to sleep easily.
I would lay in bed “trying” to sleep, wondering what sleep would feel like. I tried essential oils. I even tried to wear the same PJs that I slept well in (how ridiculous!). This all led to more anger and frustration.
As I worked through the course, I started feeling more confident about sleep because it was consistent and I was able to fall asleep faster. If I woke up in the night, I was able to fall back asleep quite quickly. I began to enjoy life again. I was happier, I had more energy, and I began to think about motherhood as something beautiful.
This program has been life changing for me. It allowed me to reframe how I thought about sleep (and anxiety) and I now look forward to my bed.
Life is so much more beautiful now
I felt like I was in hell. Everything was dark and negative and I experienced lots of nighttime panic. I knew the course was working when I realized that I had not lost the ability to sleep. This released a lot of anxiety for me since I thought I could not sleep anymore.
Life now looks much better and is more enjoyable in every way. Life is so much more beautiful now 🙂
I feel like a normal, functioning person again
I am a physician and I, unfortunately, did not receive much training on insomnia. I tried various things (melatonin, psychiatrist, trazodone) and nothing really helped except this course.
My sleep before the Insomnia Coach course was a mess. I suffered from postpartum anxiety and insomnia. I felt pretty hopeless. I had my lowest moments running on zero sleep and felt that I would never get better.
I still have some nights where I find it difficult to fall asleep or back to sleep on occasion but they do not stick out in my mind because they are few and far between and I have strategies when minor sleeplessness strikes.
Life is so much better now. I feel like a normal, functioning person again. This course really saved me. Had I not done it, I am afraid of what life would be like right now. My sleep is consistently better. I cannot remember the last night I had true insomnia.
Life is back to normal now
I woke up every day feeling worn out and fatigued. The frustration was unbearable. It drove me to try many different things to improve my sleep which only made my sleep worse.
As I went through the course I realized that I actually had the ability to sleep properly and restfully even though I was anxious about my sleep. I naturally became much more confident that I would be able to improve in the time to come. This course offers personalized feedback and advice which is extremely helpful considering the nature of sleep issues.
Life is back to normal now, and I am so thankful.
Insomnia isn’t in the way of my everyday life anymore
I couldn’t fall asleep without smoking weed or taking sleeping pills. I would have very intense adrenaline rushes as soon as I was dosing off (sometimes up to 30 times in less than an hour). If I medicated and fell asleep with no issues, I would wake up around 4/5 am and couldn’t fall back asleep, tossing and turning, feeling very anxious and frustrated. I would think about it all day and hemp up my anxiety. It was a very vicious cycle.
I just felt desperate. I thought my sleep was broken forever. I felt like a slave to the drugs, that I couldn’t do it on my own. I tried all the sleep hygiene tips (it worked the first night and that was it), natural supplements. Because they didn’t work I thought something was wrong with me and I was doomed to have poor sleep for the rest of my life.
The Insomnia Coach course wasn’t easy. You don’t see results right away. The first 2 weeks were actually very difficult. I felt like crap from the very poor nights of sleep but with Martin’s help, I kept believing in the process and stuck to it.
Now I’ve graduated from the course, I am very rarely anxious and when it happens I can deal with it. I don’t think as often about sleep and I feel confident that I will fall asleep with no issues. I started doing all the activities that I love again. Insomnia isn’t in the way of my everyday life anymore. I feel so much more free, confident, and relaxed. I feel I learned to let go and it feels so good.
I also love that the techniques I learned are techniques I can use for the rest of my life. I regret not doing it sooner and I cannot recommend it enough.
I am actually LIVING my life
I developed my insomnia when my 5th baby was born, the pandemic hit, and I was greatly overwhelmed at all my responsibilities. My baby was a poor sleeper so I was already anxious about getting sleep and he woke up so much it almost felt like “what’s the point of falling asleep if he is going to wake me up right away” but then I started to panic when I wouldn’t fall asleep at all between his nursings.
Even when my husband would take him, I simply couldn’t fall asleep even though I was so, so exhausted. I developed a neurosis about my sleep and at night my thoughts would race nonstop, even songs would perpetually play in my head, and it was a hell I had never known could exist before.
I tried sleeping on the couch, I tried sleeping pills, I tried CBD, meditation, working out like crazy, EVERYTHING, and nothing could help me fall asleep. Even when I would fall into a light sleep I was always cognizant and it was just unbearable never getting a reprieve from my racing thoughts.
The experience was debilitating. It absolutely consumed my every thought and action. My life revolved completely around my sleep. The physical suffering was unbearable as well. Constant headaches, nausea, and shaking. I was scared to drive, I was constantly on the verge of tears, I had so much guilt because I was such a mess and knew I was barely getting by keeping my kids fed and I knew I was not meeting their emotional needs because I could barely keep myself alive. I was a burden on my husband. Every day felt impossible and then the night would come and I would be filled with dread and it would be so much worse than the day! It is difficult to describe the despondency that I felt trying to navigate everyday life without being able to sleep.
What I liked most about the course was the accountability. I did think the course was expensive but then I realized that only when I was willing to prioritize my health, emotionally and financially, would I be successful in taking the steps (which felt impossible at times) to manage my insomnia. The feedback, concrete plan, and being able to reach out whenever I was panicky and getting a response from Martin almost immediately was so valuable.
I think the fact the course was such a financial commitment I could NOT give up and that piece was necessary for me to stick to it. The constant contact with Martin and personalized feedback was really helpful. It is a very structured and slow process. Severe insomnia makes you feel insane and so lonely so being able to reach out to someone who understands was so important as well.
When I realized my sleep was improving I was hesitant to believe it and it took a while definitely before I stopped obsessing over my sleep constantly and I started to not dread my life again. Realizing that I could go an entire day without thinking about sleep was shocking.
Now I have graduated from the course I just don’t obsess over sleep anymore! I still have bad nights but I don’t have this overwhelming dread that there is something deeply wrong with me. I am actually LIVING my life and insomnia consumed me for almost 2 years.
This was the ONLY thing that helped me improve my insomnia. I tried literally everything and was so despondent. I felt severely mentally ill. But this really helped me. It takes time but it WILL work.
Set me on a new path
I had a lot of anxiety about sleep. I was super focused on how I felt and feared the night. This course seemed to release me from a lot of those fears and helped set me on a new path with less focus on feelings and fears. Before the course, I felt lost. Drugs messed with me and it never felt like I was really winning!
I am now letting go of the fight. I feel stronger in my mind when I feel the pull into feelings of self-pity. The personalized coaching made a huge difference. I liked the quick and personal responses and the fresh ideas.
I can live the life that I want
Before I started the online coaching course I frequently experienced multiple nights of poor sleep in a row. I was caught in a cycle of hypervigilance about making sure I got enough sleep.
The course was different from other things I had tried because it was personalized with no fluff. Even on days where I slept terribly the night before, I still had complete trust that, as long as I followed the simple instructions in this course, I would get back to feeling like myself in no time.
Now I have graduated from the course I feel that I can live the life that I want.
I am getting much more sleep
I was grasping at straws with my own research and never really knowing if what I was implementing was correct or going to make things worse.
I had many nights of zero or 1-2 hours of sleep with crying, throwing things out of frustration, and feeling very worried and hopeless about my situation. I felt lost and had never experienced anything quite so distressing in my life – and I’ve been through some hard things!
I felt like I couldn’t cope with anything, sleep ruled my days and my nights and the feeling was overwhelming that nothing would ever be right again. I felt like I was drawing at straws, reading as much as I could, but not really knowing if I was implementing anything correctly. I hated lying there awake hour after hour and then needing to get through the entire day before I could try again. I canceled many plans with family and friends and felt hopeless.
Knowing that Martin had my back and would respond to my desperate emails promptly helped reduce my anxiety – I felt like I wasn’t alone when prior to that insomnia felt extremely lonely. Also just knowing an expert like Martin said I was normal and was there just reduced so much anxiety in itself.
The most important moment was into week 3 or 4 when I started yawning and feeling ‘sleepy’ again for the first time in many months. It was a relief; it was beautiful and getting over 5 1/2 hrs consistently for a while made me realize I wasn’t broken and my body and brain could sleep!
After graduating from the course, I am getting much more sleep and I am losing the need/desire to control sleep. I have made peace with the night and whatever happens so my acceptance is high and anxiety low. Sleep and the need for sleep don’t control my night or the quality of my day (I won’t let it!). I don’t expect to be cured, but I am on the right track and I have the tools I need and the experience using these tools thanks to Martin. The only way is up from here and my knowledge and education around sleep are always there for me for life!
Results exceeded my expectations
Before enrolling I would go through patches of really good sleep and then patches of really bad sleep. It was disempowering. I felt resentment at having to push through doing things that I would usually enjoy.
The course offered a coherent set of strategies that could be applied without much thought. This got around my capacity to overthink. Other strategies I had tried were not based upon much other than maybe they had worked once or twice before and were not reliable. I was focused in ways that actually made my sleep worse in the long run.
About four or five weeks into the course, I realized my sleep was improving. Confidence started to build as well as sleepiness. I am now more relaxed and confident.
I liked having someone to work with. Just knowing that they were there looking over things and emailing worked well. I could fit it into my life very easily, the techniques worked, and the best thing of all is the improved sleep! The results exceeded my expectations.
Good sleep consistently and reliably
My sleep was very erratic and inconsistent. It felt uncontrollable like it was a runaway train and I had absolutely no power to do anything about where it went.
Most of the advice out there is for short-term issues without the context of what true insomniacs are experiencing. I felt completely alone in addressing it and helpless. Like there was no one that could help me.
For me, the realization of the strength of the mental component was the true key. I don’t think I ever came across that anywhere else before. Really diving into the strength and inner workings of the arousal system was definitely a turning point for me.
I felt such relief and gratitude as my sleep started to improve! Realizing that I’m not some oddball outlier, which is how I felt when I tried to research various aspects of my sleep experiences on my own, but just an ordinary insomniac was a huge weight off my shoulders.
I feel much more confident in my ability to sleep and know exactly what to do to stay on track. I experience good sleep consistently and reliably. I don’t spend time worrying about sleep or trying to figure it out. My detective work has been significantly curtailed. I understand way more about how sleep works and the things I was doing previously to create the perfect storm for insomnia. I am much more relaxed when my sleep isn’t exactly how I’d like it to be. I am SO grateful to Martin for helping me with this issue when it seemed like there was nowhere to turn to get effective help!
Less worry about difficult nights
Six months ago I began to have sleep disturbances characterized by a few nights of waking in the night and not being able to fall back to sleep. I then began to have trouble falling asleep as well as awakening from sleep and at its worst, I had a few bouts of panic attacks in the night.
When I could not sleep, I wandered from room to room, attempting to sleep in a different bed, on the couch, and in an easy chair. I spent many nights working on comfortable positions. Sometimes I would sleep, sometimes not. The day after a sleepless night I would try to nap and sometimes be successful for ~30m, sometimes not. I would go to bed early to compensate for lack of sleep and sometimes sleep for 8-9 hours, which is way longer than I had slept in years.
Finally, I began using a wearable device for relaxing and sleep, began taking medications, and got registered so that I could use medical marijuana. None of it worked, thankfully. My doctor’s approach was to prescribe a sleep aid, which I declined. Sleep became the theme of my life and although I did not let it interfere with my daytime activities, it was all I focused on.
The largest frustration was that I had never had difficult nights before, proudly being able to sleep anytime and anywhere. I was disbelieving that this was happening to me.
In Week 6 of the course, I began a car trip vacation and was very worried about losing sleep during this time. As it turned out, I only had 2 nights of difficulty–both before the extended drives. Also, I experienced little periods of understanding unfolding as the course unfolded. The first period was relief–OMG I can sleep again from night to night; then another period when I was very invested in staying calmer/less worried throughout the day so that I could maintain a run of good nights; followed by less worry about difficult nights and understanding of what to do IF I experienced wakefulness or trouble falling asleep.
I have said to people who have asked, “it is worth every penny!” Cost aside, I have explained that it is a methodical, evidence-based approach to sleep difficulties providing a template for improved sleep. THIS particular course is so valuable because it provides very specific scenarios for every possible situation. Access to Martin is invaluable–reassuring guidance along the way.
Wake up feeling refreshed
I was hooked on sleeping and anti-anxiety pills. I would take a pill every night just to try and help me to fall asleep. I was nervous and anxious before my bedtime and constantly worried about what my sleep would be like. If I lay awake in my bed I would toss and turn thinking about my activities the next day and how would I ever cope knowing I would hardly be getting any sleep.
It was overwhelming. I tried absolutely everything – the teas, meditations, medications (natural and pharmaceutical), exercises, baths, etc just to try and help me fall asleep. And when they didn’t work (because of course they didn’t), my frustration would get even worse.
The online coaching course targeted the true solution to the problem which was my thoughts about sleep. Everything else I had tried in the past, led me to believe that something external would put me to sleep when the reality was that sleep is generated naturally (if I let it). Nothing I do or take will put me to sleep. The course taught me to let go of my worries and anxious thoughts regarding sleep, and when I learned to do that, sleep came naturally.
I cannot tell you how great it feels to not be taking any more medication. I used to take a sleeping pill every night and still wake up the next day feeling groggy and tired. Now I sleep roughly 7 hours a night and wake up feeling refreshed. I don’t spend any time during the day worrying about my sleep and if I’ll get to sleep that night, in fact, I hardly think about my sleep at all. I will forever be grateful to you Martin, thank you for helping me so much, I really, really appreciate it!
I have a much better quality of life
Before the course, my sleep was very up and down. I was waking between 4.30-5.30am and not getting back to sleep. I was very anxious about sleep so one bad night would turn into multiple bad nights. I felt helpless and that nothing would work except medication.
Roughly halfway through the course, I had an amazing seven days. I stopped worrying as much and I was sleeping very deeply. I was less worried about hours so my daytime fatigue reduced greatly. I was having a better quality of sleep and better quality of life.
I did have a setback but by week 8 I had faced my fears, lowered my arousal system, and was sleeping later in the morning than I had in 8 months since I came off my medication
I am continuing to have good nights, not to worry, and still sleep later. I have had insomnia for 80 percent of my life so I know I still have a way to go but I have finally built confidence in my own ability to sleep and have faced many of my fears.
I have a much better quality of life, I am doing more in the day, not holding myself back from anything, and enjoying life more.
I feel back to normal
Before I found Insomnia Coach my sleep was shallow, sporadic, and of very poor quality. I felt helpless, angry, and desperate. In the past, I focused on supplements and trying hard to get sleep. This course is more about the practical behaviors that can lead to improved sleep — behaviors that are based on science and evidence.
The course itself is well designed and creates active engagement by the participant. The approach Martin uses to create positive accountability is very strong and student expectations are set to help them achieve the desired goal.
I feel back to normal — sleeping as I used to — more calm and relaxed with confidence in sleep.
I feel fresh and energetic
My sleep was horrible!! Insomnia for 12 years. I was taking tranquilizers and still had insomnia nights. The tranquilizers were also generating side effects. I was getting palpitations at night. I was getting migraine attacks all the time. Sometimes I was having insomnia for 2 consecutive nights. No sleep at all. And by taking pills, the quality of sleep was not at all good.
I tried everything to improve my sleep. I tried herbal medicines, acupressure, acupuncture, massage, yoga, meditation, flower remedy, homeopathy, Ayurveda medicines, etc. But nothing worked. My insomnia was still there. It was chronic insomnia. I really felt sad and frustrated. I feared that this insomnia was going to be with me my entire life. I even cried several times during insomnia nights.
Two weeks after starting the course, I experienced nights of deep sleep. I remember the moment after my first night of sound sleep — it felt like a huge weight off my shoulder and I felt relieved. It was a very joyous and happy moment.
My sleep has improved a lot. I am experiencing sound and undisturbed sleep. Now every day I sleep for 6 hours to 6 and 1/4 hours. I am confident now. I am not worried about sleep now. I feel fresh and energetic during the day. My day-to-day life has much more optimism and positiveness and I live it without the fear of losing my sleep.
I have more joy
I had a lot of anxiety around sleep and A LOT of effort surrounding sleep. But to no avail. A lot of stressful, sleepless nights. I felt that I had lost the ability to sleep without sleep aids. I felt totally hopeless (embarrassed by the issue) and exhausted. It was the ultimate frustration. Whatever I tried to do, never improved my sleep for longer than a couple of nights. I always had to move on to the next idea. I seriously felt like a broken person.
The course made it so clear why insomnia happens and how to break habits that hinder our natural ability to sleep. The information was so clear and broken down into digestible pieces. I love how each week or two you added a new layer. It was clear, consistent guidance that was easily understandable. I trusted the process and felt confident that if I could stick to the structure I could find improvements. And it is working!!!!!
Now I’ve graduated from the course I have more joy. No matter if it was a good night or not, I stay active, I try to stay present with my family. I am no longer letting sleep dictate my life. It is so liberating! I remember the first couple of weeks feeling the positive effects of taking naps away, sleeping better, and feeling like so soon within the process I had found a new lease on life! I feel more hopeful.
This has changed my whole outlook on life. Even though I’m at the beginning stages of changing my habits, I have so much more confidence in my ability to sleep! I would wish your course on anyone who is struggling.
More restful sleep
I’d suffered with insomnia for over two decades. I used to lay in bed for at least 2 hours every evening and not get very much deep sleep. Whenever I had a bad day, it would negatively impact my sleep. Many nights I was scared to get into bed because I knew I wasn’t going to sleep.
This course takes a long-term approach to deal with the root causes of sleep issues versus other insomnia approaches that address symptoms with quick fixes that don’t resolve the underlying sleep issues.
This program won’t fit everyone’s desired approach because it can’t be jammed into a tiny little pill that can be taken nightly. This is a great program for those people who do well with self-help programs and have the patience and willingness to invest in themselves to better their sleep for the long term.
About three weeks into the program I was getting more restful sleep. I am now more alert throughout the day, and insomnia doesn’t kill my entire day.
7 hours of sleep for the first time in a long time
I felt like I was going to be stuck in the insomnia hell for my whole life. I was dealing with fragmented sleep, early awakenings, and using lots of sleep aids like eye masks, music, and meditation tracks which didn’t really work in the long run. Sleeping tablets gave me side effects like headaches.
I realized things were improving when I started to sleep through my sleep window and not feel overly fatigued during the day even though I wasn’t getting the 7-8 hours I thought I needed. The daily support is invaluable as you want to give the course 100% but questions always come up and it’s great to have them answered quickly so you can move forward.
I have got 7 hours of sleep for the first time in a long time! I now feel like I have the tools and strategies to manage my insomnia better.
I am now feeling much better
I used to get 0-2 hours of low-quality sleep. Being a “do-er” (overachiever) and the go-to person for problem-solving in life, it was very frustrating that this was something I was failing to solve. So, it was quite depressing.
This course is different because it is behavior modification where the “why” for each behavior change is well provided before implementing the “how”. Plus having a coach/expert as a guide is excellent.
The course is well worth it BUT will be as helpful as the level of commitment a client is willing to put into it. There must be a willingness to let go of one’s long-held beliefs and habits about sleep and be open to a new approach. Bottom line, it is a terrific investment in one’s health and well being but it takes a level of dedication; and having a very knowledgeable coach makes it very doable; similar to many other “aspirations” in life!
I am now feeling much better and less worried about having to get through days of fatigue. Overall, a significant increase in overall wellbeing.
Life is starting to get beautiful again
I was in the midst of a nasty bout of insomnia that was getting worse. I was terrified of sleep and worried I’d have chronic insomnia for life. I felt like I had tried everything sleep hygiene-wise and nothing worked. I was feeling pretty low and helpless.
Martin was warm, non-salesy, and had an empathic personality. It’s clear he is in this first and foremost to help people and the money is secondary. A lot of the other courses just felt really icky and commercialized.
The course was full of actionable science-backed concrete behaviors we could take — not just frustrating sleep hygiene stuff. What I liked most about the course was Martin’s highly empathetic presence and understanding of the psyche of someone with insomnia and their triggers + high confidence in our ability to sleep + availability to help us through obstacles at any moment.
The future looks bright. Life is starting to get beautiful again 🙂
More Insomnia Success Stories
The Insomnia Coach forum contains more insomnia success stories, as does the Insomnia Coach podcast.
Get Your Life Back from Insomnia
If you are ready to move away from struggling with insomnia and sleep anxiety so you can start living the life you want to live, you can get my six-week online coaching course right now by clicking the button below:
If you would like to get in touch, please contact me here.
Martin Reed, MEd, CHES®, CCSH