If you can react positively to difficult nights of sleep you might start to enjoy better sleep

YouTube Video VVVMNUxzTFVlVkEyal9Wc2w1NjI1c2hRLnhUZGJHaFF4MWc0

It’s quite unfortunate that our natural and automatic reaction to a difficult night is often the worst way to react to a difficult night — and it’s that reaction that typically perpetuates sleep disruption and makes sleep more difficult. <br /><br />Related video: <br /><br />Watch me use my mystical powers to reveal how your sleep issues began and why you now have insomnia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTMJ2t4skG8<br /><br />How do you typically react to a difficult night of sleep? In my experience, common reactions including worrying about sleep, blaming everything bad that happens during the day on that difficult night of sleep (whether that’s true or not), canceling plans, trying to conserve energy, spending time researching sleep, maybe trying to nap during the day, and putting off activities that might have otherwise given you a sense of joy, fulfillment, and pleasure.<br /><br />Related video:<br /><br />Why it is so important not to compensate for a bad night of sleep when you have insomnia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiwIs-ZOiuY<br /><br />All these automatic reactions are completely normal and understandable, but they all fit a common theme — they all lead to more arousal (this could be in the form of stress, worry, anxiety, or self-monitoring) and they virtually guarantee that a difficult night of sleep leads to an unpleasant, difficult, unenjoyable day — and both these outcomes can end up making sleep more difficult.<br /><br />Related video:<br /><br />If you have insomnia, what happens tonight is far less important than what you do today and tonight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOe8bPAW5IQ<br /><br />So, instead of allowing an automatic reaction to a difficult night to rule your day, to rule your thoughts, and to rule your behaviors, you might want to try taking a more deliberate alternative (and often more constructive) approach.<br /><br />Instead of allowing sleep and insomnia to rule your life, you might want to start taking back control. So, for example, you might refuse to allow a difficult night to lead to you canceling plans with friends or calling in sick to work. You might refuse to allow a difficult night to lead to a day full of sleep-related research and worry. <br /><br />When we add activities to our day, no matter how small these activities might be, we give ourselves the opportunity to recognize that we have more control over the quality of our days and how we feel during the day than the previous night of sleep. We give ourselves the opportunity to recognize that we can have a good day (or at least some good or OK moments) after a difficult night of sleep.<br /><br />Related video:<br /><br />Adding more enjoyable moments to your life and planning fun activities reduces the power of insomnia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cg7HMiM-Z4<br /><br />The end result is less time available for thinking and worrying about sleep, more daily enjoyment, and — perhaps — putting less pressure on ourselves to sleep.<br /><br />When we are able to recognize just how much control we have over the quality of our days, when we are able to recognize that perhaps sleep isn’t quite as important as we thought, when we can remove sleep from the pedestal we can so easily place it on, we typically think and worry about sleep less, we put less effort into sleep, we put less pressure on ourselves to sleep, and this — in turn — often leads to better sleep and a better life.<br /><br />▶ Subscribe to the Insomnia Coach channel (and be sure to click the notification bell afterward so you don't miss any videos): http://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=youtube062620<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. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.<br /><br />#insomnia<br />#sleep

Insomnia Coach 9K views June 26, 2020 9:41 pm

It’s quite unfortunate that our natural and automatic reaction to a difficult night is often the worst way to react to a difficult night — and it’s that reaction that typically perpetuates sleep disruption and makes sleep more difficult.

Related video:

Watch me use my mystical powers to reveal how your sleep issues began and why you now have insomnia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTMJ2t4skG8

How do you typically react to a difficult night of sleep? In my experience, common reactions including worrying about sleep, blaming everything bad that happens during the day on that difficult night of sleep (whether that’s true or not), canceling plans, trying to conserve energy, spending time researching sleep, maybe trying to nap during the day, and putting off activities that might have otherwise given you a sense of joy, fulfillment, and pleasure.

Related video:

Why it is so important not to compensate for a bad night of sleep when you have insomnia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiwIs-ZOiuY

All these automatic reactions are completely normal and understandable, but they all fit a common theme — they all lead to more arousal (this could be in the form of stress, worry, anxiety, or self-monitoring) and they virtually guarantee that a difficult night of sleep leads to an unpleasant, difficult, unenjoyable day — and both these outcomes can end up making sleep more difficult.

Related video:

If you have insomnia, what happens tonight is far less important than what you do today and tonight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOe8bPAW5IQ

So, instead of allowing an automatic reaction to a difficult night to rule your day, to rule your thoughts, and to rule your behaviors, you might want to try taking a more deliberate alternative (and often more constructive) approach.

Instead of allowing sleep and insomnia to rule your life, you might want to start taking back control. So, for example, you might refuse to allow a difficult night to lead to you canceling plans with friends or calling in sick to work. You might refuse to allow a difficult night to lead to a day full of sleep-related research and worry.

When we add activities to our day, no matter how small these activities might be, we give ourselves the opportunity to recognize that we have more control over the quality of our days and how we feel during the day than the previous night of sleep. We give ourselves the opportunity to recognize that we can have a good day (or at least some good or OK moments) after a difficult night of sleep.

Related video:

Adding more enjoyable moments to your life and planning fun activities reduces the power of insomnia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cg7HMiM-Z4

The end result is less time available for thinking and worrying about sleep, more daily enjoyment, and — perhaps — putting less pressure on ourselves to sleep.

When we are able to recognize just how much control we have over the quality of our days, when we are able to recognize that perhaps sleep isn’t quite as important as we thought, when we can remove sleep from the pedestal we can so easily place it on, we typically think and worry about sleep less, we put less effort into sleep, we put less pressure on ourselves to sleep, and this — in turn — often leads to better sleep and a better life.

▶ Subscribe to the Insomnia Coach channel (and be sure to click the notification bell afterward so you don’t miss any videos): http://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=youtube062620

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. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.

#insomnia
#sleep