How Amy went from an intense fear of insomnia to averaging seven hours of sleep each night (#34)

YouTube Video VVVMNUxzTFVlVkEyal9Wc2w1NjI1c2hRLklZOEtONHB0ZGg0

Night after night of wakefulness led Amy to a dark place where she saw no way out. She felt helpless and doomed to a life of insomnia.<br /><br />Ironically, Amy became friends with someone else who was struggling with insomnia. This friend ended up enrolling as a client of mine and started to experience improvements in their sleep. Amy learned more about the behavioral changes he was making, and — even though she assumed these wouldn’t work for her — she figured she was already suffering so much, nothing she could do could make her situation worse.<br /><br />So, Amy started to spend less time in bed, she abandoned her sleep rituals, and she shifted away from trying to control sleep and all the thoughts and worries her mind would generate. After weeks of ups and downs, Amy started to get more sleep, more consistently. Now, she averages around seven or more hours of sleep each night and considers her transformation nothing short of a miracle.<br /><br />Amy’s story shows that no matter how desperate things feel, no matter how severe your insomnia may be, there is always hope. If you are willing and able to make some changes to your current sleep habits and your current relationship with the difficult thoughts and emotions that like to accompany insomnia, you can get to a place where you will realize that you CAN sleep!<br /><br />Chapters:<br /><br />00:00:00 Introduction<br />00:02:45 When Amy’s Insomnia Began<br />00:04:04 Fear, Superstition, and Triggers<br />00:06:09 Avoidance, Control, and Thought Struggles<br />00:07:04 Stressful Life Events and Fear<br />00:08:19 Emotional Spiral and Hopelessness<br />00:10:06 Chronic Insomnia vs. Temporary Triggers<br />00:11:47 Living on Two Hours of Sleep<br />00:13:10 “I Forgot How to Sleep”<br />00:15:14 Fatigue, Sedentary Days, and Overthinking<br />00:16:12 Medications, Side Effects, and Rock Bottom<br />00:17:10 A Shift in Mindset and Getting Help<br />00:19:10 What Didn’t Work: Sleep Hygiene and Rituals<br />00:20:53 Why Sleep Hygiene Falls Short<br />00:22:25 Meditation, Awareness, and the Paradox of Trying<br />00:23:19 Insomnia Buddy and Shared Support<br />00:25:36 From Skepticism to Trying a New Approach<br />00:27:08 Struggling with Logical Decisions During Insomnia<br />00:29:03 Starting Small and Seeing Progress<br />00:30:32 Early Wins: Piecing Together Sleep<br />00:32:10 Gradual Increase in Sleep Duration<br />00:34:49 Consistent Sleep Returns<br />00:35:22 Easing Into New Sleep Patterns<br />00:37:21 Motivation, Ego, and Friendly Competition<br />00:38:45 The Role of Self-Compassion<br />00:40:56 Being Kind to Yourself After Bad Nights<br />00:43:28 Lack of Medical Support and Frustration<br />00:45:00 Self-Compassion as a Skill<br />00:46:03 Ups and Downs Are Normal<br />00:47:08 Committing to a New Sleep Schedule<br />00:49:10 Controlling Behavior vs. Sleep Outcomes<br />00:50:48 Breakthroughs and Setbacks<br />00:51:44 Letting Go of Control<br />00:53:25 Having Something to “Do” That Helps<br />00:53:31 What Sleep Looks Like Now<br />00:54:33 Final Advice for Others<br />00:55:45 You Can Sleep – Closing Message<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 />You can subscribe to the Insomnia Coach® Podcast through the following platforms:<br /><br />Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/insomnia-coach-podcast/id1469454957<br /><br />Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2eVnnsowPQAnS4cZX73dEf<br /><br />Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=432360<br /><br />TuneIn: https://tunein.com/podcasts/Health--Wellness-Podcasts/Insomnia-Coach(R)-Podcast-p1232227/<br /><br />PodBean: https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/gz957-98ea6/Insomnia-Coach%C2%AE-Podcast <br /><br />iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-insomnia-coach-podcast-46606122/<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=youtube020822<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 5.7K views February 9, 2022 10:43 pm

Night after night of wakefulness led Amy to a dark place where she saw no way out. She felt helpless and doomed to a life of insomnia.

Ironically, Amy became friends with someone else who was struggling with insomnia. This friend ended up enrolling as a client of mine and started to experience improvements in their sleep. Amy learned more about the behavioral changes he was making, and — even though she assumed these wouldn’t work for her — she figured she was already suffering so much, nothing she could do could make her situation worse.

So, Amy started to spend less time in bed, she abandoned her sleep rituals, and she shifted away from trying to control sleep and all the thoughts and worries her mind would generate. After weeks of ups and downs, Amy started to get more sleep, more consistently. Now, she averages around seven or more hours of sleep each night and considers her transformation nothing short of a miracle.

Amy’s story shows that no matter how desperate things feel, no matter how severe your insomnia may be, there is always hope. If you are willing and able to make some changes to your current sleep habits and your current relationship with the difficult thoughts and emotions that like to accompany insomnia, you can get to a place where you will realize that you CAN sleep!

Chapters:

00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:45 When Amy’s Insomnia Began
00:04:04 Fear, Superstition, and Triggers
00:06:09 Avoidance, Control, and Thought Struggles
00:07:04 Stressful Life Events and Fear
00:08:19 Emotional Spiral and Hopelessness
00:10:06 Chronic Insomnia vs. Temporary Triggers
00:11:47 Living on Two Hours of Sleep
00:13:10 “I Forgot How to Sleep”
00:15:14 Fatigue, Sedentary Days, and Overthinking
00:16:12 Medications, Side Effects, and Rock Bottom
00:17:10 A Shift in Mindset and Getting Help
00:19:10 What Didn’t Work: Sleep Hygiene and Rituals
00:20:53 Why Sleep Hygiene Falls Short
00:22:25 Meditation, Awareness, and the Paradox of Trying
00:23:19 Insomnia Buddy and Shared Support
00:25:36 From Skepticism to Trying a New Approach
00:27:08 Struggling with Logical Decisions During Insomnia
00:29:03 Starting Small and Seeing Progress
00:30:32 Early Wins: Piecing Together Sleep
00:32:10 Gradual Increase in Sleep Duration
00:34:49 Consistent Sleep Returns
00:35:22 Easing Into New Sleep Patterns
00:37:21 Motivation, Ego, and Friendly Competition
00:38:45 The Role of Self-Compassion
00:40:56 Being Kind to Yourself After Bad Nights
00:43:28 Lack of Medical Support and Frustration
00:45:00 Self-Compassion as a Skill
00:46:03 Ups and Downs Are Normal
00:47:08 Committing to a New Sleep Schedule
00:49:10 Controlling Behavior vs. Sleep Outcomes
00:50:48 Breakthroughs and Setbacks
00:51:44 Letting Go of Control
00:53:25 Having Something to “Do” That Helps
00:53:31 What Sleep Looks Like Now
00:54:33 Final Advice for Others
00:55:45 You Can Sleep – Closing Message

▶ 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

You can subscribe to the Insomnia Coach® Podcast through the following platforms:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/insomnia-coach-podcast/id1469454957

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2eVnnsowPQAnS4cZX73dEf

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=432360

TuneIn: https://tunein.com/podcasts/Health–Wellness-Podcasts/Insomnia-Coach(R)-Podcast-p1232227/

PodBean: https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/gz957-98ea6/Insomnia-Coach%C2%AE-Podcast

iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-insomnia-coach-podcast-46606122/

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=youtube020822

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