How Anne-Claire moved away from the insomnia struggle by being willing to experience insomnia (#51)

YouTube Video VVVMNUxzTFVlVkEyal9Wc2w1NjI1c2hRLkY1Qm9aM2UzQzhR

Ready to get your life back from insomnia? Learn more about the sleep coaching programs I offer at https://insomniacoach.com<br /><br />As a business owner, Anne-Claire began overextending herself and her sleep started to suffer. She reduced her workload and experimented with supplements and medication but her sleep seemed to get even worse.<br /><br />After deciding that she didn’t want to continue using medication, Anne-Claire began to explore whether changing her approach to sleep and her response to insomnia might be helpful.<br /><br />Like most people, Anne-Claire had tried to fight or avoid the difficult thoughts and feelings that come with insomnia — and this got her tangled up in more of a struggle with them. In a change of approach, Anne-Claire began making space for them to exist. She would greet and welcome her thoughts (even the difficult ones). She practiced being more of an observer of them, rather than an opponent of them.<br /><br />As she did that she realized that many of the thoughts her mind generated didn’t match her own experience. This helped her realize that there was no need to battle with her mind — that her mind will generate all kinds of thoughts and feelings, some of which might be true, some of which might not be true. Some of which might be helpful and some of which might not be helpful.<br /><br />As she started to implement and practice new habits, Anne-Claire also realized that the more effort she put into sleep, the more difficult it became. She found that by maintaining a consistent out of bed time in the morning, regardless of how she slept, she was better able to do things that mattered and she was more likely to experience better sleep on subsequent nights.<br /><br />She also discovered that comparing her sleep to anyone else’s or trying to achieve a certain amount or type of sleep was not helpful and was likely to pull her back into a struggle.<br /><br />Today, Anne-Claire no longer struggles with sleep. Thanks to her willingness to experience insomnia, sleep has — once again — become effortless.<br /><br />Chapters:<br /><br />00:00:00 Introduction<br />00:03:41 Overwork and Lifestyle Factors<br />00:05:54 When Stress Calms but Sleep Doesn’t<br />00:08:18 Supplements and Medications Attempted<br />00:10:49 The Trap of Fixing Sleep<br />00:13:21 Discovering a New Approach<br />00:15:09 Trouble Falling Asleep and Sleep Anxiety<br />00:18:03 The Power of Mindset and Observation<br />00:21:22 Welcoming Thoughts Instead of Fighting Them<br />00:24:04 Reframing and Practicing Acceptance<br />00:26:13 Dropping the Rope: Ending the Battle<br />00:29:02 Addressing the Arousal System<br />00:31:02 Two-Pronged Approach: Habits and Mind<br />00:34:07 Sleep Restriction: What It Is and Why It Helps<br />00:36:59 Discovering True Sleepiness<br />00:39:49 Hunger Analogy for Sleep Drive<br />00:42:12 The Power of a Consistent Wake Time<br />00:44:58 Letting Go of Sleep Catch-Up<br />00:46:15 What Sleep Restriction Looked Like in Practice<br />00:49:11 Normalizing Nighttime Wakefulness<br />00:51:03 Practicing Willingness to Be Awake<br />00:53:12 Acceptance vs. Resignation<br />00:55:11 Progress Isn’t Linear<br />00:57:57 Evolving Toward a Healthier Relationship with Sleep<br />01:01:36 Final Reflections and Advice<br />01:04:23 Outro and Coaching Invitation<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=youtube090123<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 2.3K views September 1, 2023 9:13 pm

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

As a business owner, Anne-Claire began overextending herself and her sleep started to suffer. She reduced her workload and experimented with supplements and medication but her sleep seemed to get even worse.

After deciding that she didn’t want to continue using medication, Anne-Claire began to explore whether changing her approach to sleep and her response to insomnia might be helpful.

Like most people, Anne-Claire had tried to fight or avoid the difficult thoughts and feelings that come with insomnia — and this got her tangled up in more of a struggle with them. In a change of approach, Anne-Claire began making space for them to exist. She would greet and welcome her thoughts (even the difficult ones). She practiced being more of an observer of them, rather than an opponent of them.

As she did that she realized that many of the thoughts her mind generated didn’t match her own experience. This helped her realize that there was no need to battle with her mind — that her mind will generate all kinds of thoughts and feelings, some of which might be true, some of which might not be true. Some of which might be helpful and some of which might not be helpful.

As she started to implement and practice new habits, Anne-Claire also realized that the more effort she put into sleep, the more difficult it became. She found that by maintaining a consistent out of bed time in the morning, regardless of how she slept, she was better able to do things that mattered and she was more likely to experience better sleep on subsequent nights.

She also discovered that comparing her sleep to anyone else’s or trying to achieve a certain amount or type of sleep was not helpful and was likely to pull her back into a struggle.

Today, Anne-Claire no longer struggles with sleep. Thanks to her willingness to experience insomnia, sleep has — once again — become effortless.

Chapters:

00:00:00 Introduction
00:03:41 Overwork and Lifestyle Factors
00:05:54 When Stress Calms but Sleep Doesn’t
00:08:18 Supplements and Medications Attempted
00:10:49 The Trap of Fixing Sleep
00:13:21 Discovering a New Approach
00:15:09 Trouble Falling Asleep and Sleep Anxiety
00:18:03 The Power of Mindset and Observation
00:21:22 Welcoming Thoughts Instead of Fighting Them
00:24:04 Reframing and Practicing Acceptance
00:26:13 Dropping the Rope: Ending the Battle
00:29:02 Addressing the Arousal System
00:31:02 Two-Pronged Approach: Habits and Mind
00:34:07 Sleep Restriction: What It Is and Why It Helps
00:36:59 Discovering True Sleepiness
00:39:49 Hunger Analogy for Sleep Drive
00:42:12 The Power of a Consistent Wake Time
00:44:58 Letting Go of Sleep Catch-Up
00:46:15 What Sleep Restriction Looked Like in Practice
00:49:11 Normalizing Nighttime Wakefulness
00:51:03 Practicing Willingness to Be Awake
00:53:12 Acceptance vs. Resignation
00:55:11 Progress Isn’t Linear
00:57:57 Evolving Toward a Healthier Relationship with Sleep
01:01:36 Final Reflections and Advice
01:04:23 Outro and Coaching Invitation

▶ 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=youtube090123

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