How Amanda reclaimed her life from insomnia and abandoned all the unhelpful rules & rituals (#47)

YouTube Video VVVMNUxzTFVlVkEyal9Wc2w1NjI1c2hRLmcxOUxNVFZqbTVv

Ready to get your life back from insomnia? Learn more about the sleep coaching programs I offer at https://insomniacoach.com<br /><br />Amanda slept well through high school, college, and her early professional life. Her experience with insomnia began when a number of different stressors all showed up around the same time. She had a baby. She relocated. She had to get a new job. She had to deal with a toxic parent.<br /><br />Even when things settled down, Amanda found herself struggling to fall asleep. She felt as though her own mind was working against her. She started to panic and didn’t know what to do.<br /><br />Amanda realized that the more she chased after sleep, the more she craved it, the more she tried to make it happen, the more difficult it became. So, she started to move away from chasing after sleep and from trying to fight or avoid nighttime wakefulness and all the difficult thoughts and feelings that came with it.<br /><br />She started to acknowledge her thoughts — even the really difficult ones — instead of trying to control them. As she did that, she found that her thoughts weren’t always true and that she always had control over her actions, regardless of what her mind might have told her.<br /><br />As Amanda shares in this episode, the process was not easy. There were ups and downs. Her new approach took time and ongoing practice. However, as she started to get more comfortable with experiencing nighttime wakefulness, as she gained skill in allowing her thoughts and feelings to come and go as they pleased, and as she committed to doing things that kept her moving toward the life she wanted to live each day — independently of sleep — she was able to reclaim her life from insomnia.<br /><br />Chapters:<br /><br />00:00:00 Introduction<br />00:04:19 The Onset of Insomnia<br />00:06:36 Triggers and Initial Panic<br />00:08:07 The Trial-and-Error Phase<br />00:10:42 Discovering the Podcast<br />00:12:23 Sleep Happening Despite Worry<br />00:13:34 Cutting Out Naps<br />00:15:00 Napping Habits and Realizations<br />00:17:29 Letting Go of the Nap Routine<br />00:19:27 Reclaiming the Day Despite Fatigue<br />00:20:11 Decoupling Sleep From Daily Quality<br />00:22:27 Choosing Joy Despite Exhaustion<br />00:24:15 Opening Up to Good Moments<br />00:26:04 Gems in the Exhaustion<br />00:27:01 Health Fears Around Sleep Debunked<br />00:30:41 Letting Go of Sleep Research<br />00:31:41 Therapy vs Coaching Dilemma<br />00:32:14 Planning for Nighttime Wakefulness<br />00:33:58 Making Wakefulness More Pleasant<br />00:35:44 Travel, Planning, and Confidence<br />00:36:18 Building Confidence Through Practice<br />00:38:04 Sleep Isn’t a Threat<br />00:39:25 Actions Over Feelings<br />00:40:20 Reducing Time in Bed<br />00:41:41 The Role of Sleep Drive<br />00:42:41 Letting Go of Rituals<br />00:43:54 Rediscovering Natural Sleepiness<br />00:45:05 Thoughts Aren’t Sleep Barriers<br />00:46:16 Confidence Through Experience<br />00:47:25 Detaching From Thoughts<br />00:48:12 Buffer Hour and Letting Go of Clocks<br />00:49:56 Acknowledging Thoughts Without Struggle<br />00:51:22 The Insomnia Bully Analogy<br />00:52:32 Choosing Values Over Struggle<br />00:53:31 Choosing Actions Over Thoughts<br />00:54:39 Being Kind to Yourself<br />00:55:59 Recap of Key Changes<br />00:57:36 The Buffer Hour Revisited<br />00:59:06 Avoiding Ritual Traps<br />01:00:52 Process Over Perfection<br />01:02:28 Timeline for Change<br />01:04:46 Staying Committed to the Process<br />01:05:29 Amanda’s Current Sleep Routine<br />01:07:30 Final Reflections and Advice<br />01:09:49 Farewell and Closing<br /><br />▶ Subscribe to the Insomnia Coach channel (and be sure to click the notification bell afterward so you don't miss any videos): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL5LsLUeVA2j_Vsl5625shQ?sub_confirmation=1<br /><br />My name is Martin Reed and I am the founder of Insomnia Coach®. I offer sleep coaching services that give people with insomnia all the skills and support they need to enjoy better sleep for the rest of their lives. I also offer a free two-week sleep training course for people with insomnia at https://insomniacoach.com/sleep-training/?ref=youtube042523<br /><br />You can also find me here:<br /><br />Website: https://insomniacoach.com<br />Twitter: https://twitter.com/insomniacoach<br />Facebook: https://facebook.com/insomniacoach<br />Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myinsomniacoach/<br /><br />All content found on the Insomnia Coach YouTube channel 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. The statements and opinions expressed by guests are their own and are not necessarily endorsed by Insomnia Coach LLC. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.<br /><br />#insomnia<br />#sleep

Insomnia Coach 2.2K views April 25, 2023 9:04 pm

Ready to get your life back from insomnia? Learn more about the sleep coaching programs I offer at https://insomniacoach.com

Amanda slept well through high school, college, and her early professional life. Her experience with insomnia began when a number of different stressors all showed up around the same time. She had a baby. She relocated. She had to get a new job. She had to deal with a toxic parent.

Even when things settled down, Amanda found herself struggling to fall asleep. She felt as though her own mind was working against her. She started to panic and didn’t know what to do.

Amanda realized that the more she chased after sleep, the more she craved it, the more she tried to make it happen, the more difficult it became. So, she started to move away from chasing after sleep and from trying to fight or avoid nighttime wakefulness and all the difficult thoughts and feelings that came with it.

She started to acknowledge her thoughts — even the really difficult ones — instead of trying to control them. As she did that, she found that her thoughts weren’t always true and that she always had control over her actions, regardless of what her mind might have told her.

As Amanda shares in this episode, the process was not easy. There were ups and downs. Her new approach took time and ongoing practice. However, as she started to get more comfortable with experiencing nighttime wakefulness, as she gained skill in allowing her thoughts and feelings to come and go as they pleased, and as she committed to doing things that kept her moving toward the life she wanted to live each day — independently of sleep — she was able to reclaim her life from insomnia.

Chapters:

00:00:00 Introduction
00:04:19 The Onset of Insomnia
00:06:36 Triggers and Initial Panic
00:08:07 The Trial-and-Error Phase
00:10:42 Discovering the Podcast
00:12:23 Sleep Happening Despite Worry
00:13:34 Cutting Out Naps
00:15:00 Napping Habits and Realizations
00:17:29 Letting Go of the Nap Routine
00:19:27 Reclaiming the Day Despite Fatigue
00:20:11 Decoupling Sleep From Daily Quality
00:22:27 Choosing Joy Despite Exhaustion
00:24:15 Opening Up to Good Moments
00:26:04 Gems in the Exhaustion
00:27:01 Health Fears Around Sleep Debunked
00:30:41 Letting Go of Sleep Research
00:31:41 Therapy vs Coaching Dilemma
00:32:14 Planning for Nighttime Wakefulness
00:33:58 Making Wakefulness More Pleasant
00:35:44 Travel, Planning, and Confidence
00:36:18 Building Confidence Through Practice
00:38:04 Sleep Isn’t a Threat
00:39:25 Actions Over Feelings
00:40:20 Reducing Time in Bed
00:41:41 The Role of Sleep Drive
00:42:41 Letting Go of Rituals
00:43:54 Rediscovering Natural Sleepiness
00:45:05 Thoughts Aren’t Sleep Barriers
00:46:16 Confidence Through Experience
00:47:25 Detaching From Thoughts
00:48:12 Buffer Hour and Letting Go of Clocks
00:49:56 Acknowledging Thoughts Without Struggle
00:51:22 The Insomnia Bully Analogy
00:52:32 Choosing Values Over Struggle
00:53:31 Choosing Actions Over Thoughts
00:54:39 Being Kind to Yourself
00:55:59 Recap of Key Changes
00:57:36 The Buffer Hour Revisited
00:59:06 Avoiding Ritual Traps
01:00:52 Process Over Perfection
01:02:28 Timeline for Change
01:04:46 Staying Committed to the Process
01:05:29 Amanda’s Current Sleep Routine
01:07:30 Final Reflections and Advice
01:09:49 Farewell and Closing

▶ Subscribe to the Insomnia Coach channel (and be sure to click the notification bell afterward so you don’t miss any videos): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL5LsLUeVA2j_Vsl5625shQ?sub_confirmation=1

My name is Martin Reed and I am the founder of Insomnia Coach®. I offer sleep coaching services that give people with insomnia all the skills and support they need to enjoy better sleep for the rest of their lives. I also offer a free two-week sleep training course for people with insomnia at https://insomniacoach.com/sleep-training/?ref=youtube042523

You can also find me here:

Website: https://insomniacoach.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/insomniacoach
Facebook: https://facebook.com/insomniacoach
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myinsomniacoach/

All content found on the Insomnia Coach YouTube channel 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. The statements and opinions expressed by guests are their own and are not necessarily endorsed by Insomnia Coach LLC. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.

#insomnia
#sleep