How Jessica broke free from insomnia by letting go and accepting it without judgement (#54)

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Ready to get your life back from insomnia? Learn more about the sleep coaching programs I offer at https://insomniacoach.com<br /><br />Jessica's journey with insomnia began on a family vacation when she suddenly found it really hard to sleep. When she got home, her sleep recovered — until it was time to travel again. This pattern repeated itself, with sleep getting more difficult each time she traveled until insomnia stuck around even after she returned home.<br /><br />In response, Jessica started to go to bed earlier. She tried supplements and medication. She practiced good sleep hygiene. And yet, night after night, her bedroom remained a battleground.<br /><br />When bedtime approached, Jessica experienced a sense of impending doom and intense anxiety. She would feel a tightness in her chest. She worried how she was going to function during the day and feared making mistakes at work. <br /><br />In this episode, Jessica describes how she practiced a new approach. Instead of fighting insomnia and the difficult thoughts and feelings that would come with it, she started accepting their presence. She started to be kinder to herself. Jessica noticed that it wasn't being awake or experiencing certain thoughts and feelings that were the real problem — it was her judgment of those things and her ongoing resistance to them that made things so much more difficult.<br /><br />As Jessica shares, her change of approach wasn't easy. Progress was not immediate or linear. However, with ongoing practice she found that she was able to free herself from an ongoing struggle and reclaim her life from insomnia. <br /><br />Chapters:<br /><br />00:00:00 Introduction<br />00:03:24 The Anxiety Around Sleep Sets In<br />00:05:41 Travel Triggers and Escalation<br />00:08:13 Physical Symptoms Without Clear Thoughts<br />00:10:01 What a Typical Night Looked Like<br />00:12:40 Insight From Her Husband<br />00:15:03 Daytime Functioning Despite the Nights<br />00:17:09 The Brain’s Good Intentions<br />00:19:55 Fighting the Wrong Battle<br />00:22:06 Medication and the Anxiety Trap<br />00:24:14 White-Knuckling Through Life Stress<br />00:26:12 Emotional Suppression and Its Cost<br />00:27:02 Learning to Respond Differently<br />00:29:03 Retraining the Brain Around Bedtime<br />00:31:11 Handling the “Switch” at Bedtime<br />00:34:08 Judging Thoughts and Sleep Differently<br />00:36:12 In-Bed vs. Out-of-Bed Practice<br />00:38:44 Letting Go of the Fight<br />00:40:02 Getting Through the Walking-on-Eggshells Phase<br />00:42:45 The Power of Nonjudgment<br />00:44:11 Making Peace With Acceptance<br />00:47:03 Control, Effort, and Letting Go<br />00:50:20 Real-Life Examples of Letting Go<br />00:52:35 Actions That Influence Thoughts<br />00:54:38 Actions That Helped Jessica Most<br />00:56:25 Medication, Shame, and Openness<br />00:57:02 The Timeline to Feeling Free<br />58:36 Final Thoughts and Advice<br />59:39 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 />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 />Google Podcasts: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9pbnNvbW5pYWNvYWNoLmNvbS9mZWVkL3BvZGNhc3Qv<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=youtube112223<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 3.9K views November 29, 2023 7:04 pm

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

Jessica’s journey with insomnia began on a family vacation when she suddenly found it really hard to sleep. When she got home, her sleep recovered — until it was time to travel again. This pattern repeated itself, with sleep getting more difficult each time she traveled until insomnia stuck around even after she returned home.

In response, Jessica started to go to bed earlier. She tried supplements and medication. She practiced good sleep hygiene. And yet, night after night, her bedroom remained a battleground.

When bedtime approached, Jessica experienced a sense of impending doom and intense anxiety. She would feel a tightness in her chest. She worried how she was going to function during the day and feared making mistakes at work.

In this episode, Jessica describes how she practiced a new approach. Instead of fighting insomnia and the difficult thoughts and feelings that would come with it, she started accepting their presence. She started to be kinder to herself. Jessica noticed that it wasn’t being awake or experiencing certain thoughts and feelings that were the real problem — it was her judgment of those things and her ongoing resistance to them that made things so much more difficult.

As Jessica shares, her change of approach wasn’t easy. Progress was not immediate or linear. However, with ongoing practice she found that she was able to free herself from an ongoing struggle and reclaim her life from insomnia.

Chapters:

00:00:00 Introduction
00:03:24 The Anxiety Around Sleep Sets In
00:05:41 Travel Triggers and Escalation
00:08:13 Physical Symptoms Without Clear Thoughts
00:10:01 What a Typical Night Looked Like
00:12:40 Insight From Her Husband
00:15:03 Daytime Functioning Despite the Nights
00:17:09 The Brain’s Good Intentions
00:19:55 Fighting the Wrong Battle
00:22:06 Medication and the Anxiety Trap
00:24:14 White-Knuckling Through Life Stress
00:26:12 Emotional Suppression and Its Cost
00:27:02 Learning to Respond Differently
00:29:03 Retraining the Brain Around Bedtime
00:31:11 Handling the “Switch” at Bedtime
00:34:08 Judging Thoughts and Sleep Differently
00:36:12 In-Bed vs. Out-of-Bed Practice
00:38:44 Letting Go of the Fight
00:40:02 Getting Through the Walking-on-Eggshells Phase
00:42:45 The Power of Nonjudgment
00:44:11 Making Peace With Acceptance
00:47:03 Control, Effort, and Letting Go
00:50:20 Real-Life Examples of Letting Go
00:52:35 Actions That Influence Thoughts
00:54:38 Actions That Helped Jessica Most
00:56:25 Medication, Shame, and Openness
00:57:02 The Timeline to Feeling Free
58:36 Final Thoughts and Advice
59:39 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

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

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

Google Podcasts: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9pbnNvbW5pYWNvYWNoLmNvbS9mZWVkL3BvZGNhc3Qv

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=youtube112223

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