Grammar police are the dumbest people out there. This is online content not a dissertation. But perhaps you are just the one too dumb to know how to read through typos.@@CassieDavis613
Daniel .........THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I cannot say this enough. Your non judgmental and unwavering support is invaluable, I am not just lucky but feel very blessed to have stumbled across this channel. I am finally beginning to see that light at the end of the tunnel, hopes for ending my 23 year battle with insomnia has been renewed. Keep going ......
Andrea, wow I’m so so glad you stumbled across our little ecosystem 😊 you’re so welcome, it’s meant for you. Learn and you’ll find things get easier and easier
So glad I wasted 35 minutes of my life listening to a video titled "Coming Off Trazadone" to find help....but the dude is STILL ON Trazadone....Great Job!!
@@thesleepcoachschool8192wasn't a dig towards him...it was the misleading title for someone who is desperate to find a strategy to come off Trazadone..
I hear 🙂 and yes, the title, that’s 100% my responsibility. If you have a suggestion for a better title, let me know and I can change it. Hang in there Jeff
Thank you for the work you do Coach, please never stop ! You are helping so many people who owe you so much gratitude. Gonna listen to this episode soon.
Thanks so much. I am struggling with insomnia since 1994. Lupus patient. Had to take domonoct which has now stopped working. Took trabozone for. month. I am now sleeping night and day. Fortunately I am now retired & can afford to oversleep.
This is exactly where I am now. I listen to a movie, or music or something else on youtube and usually fall asleep after taking trazodone. Last night I didn't take it, and still listened to something and fell asleep. I got about 7 hours. I'd love to not have to take anything, but at this point my brain does the whole "should i?" Usually if I don't fall asleep like is discussed in this video. For now I'll take the listening to something to help my distract my mind. Hopefully in the future I wouldnt even need that if my brain would just not think about falling sleep.
Hi Rebecca, oh yes indeed sounds very much like Nick. And you know, I fully believe that when we say “this is ok, this is my normal now”… then there’s no rush, no pressure, and then things fall into place by themselves
It seems to me that this methodology can be used for quitting smoking..Insomnia is the thing that always drove me back to smoking and the FEAR of insomnia is the the thing that prevents me from trying again. Priceless!
Oh yes Laura I believe this very much. Actually some years ago, someone asked how to quit smoking. And as odd as it may sound, I said I think it’s about not pushing oneself, about not judging ourselves when we smoke… and he did quit smoking. Self kindness, and awareness (seeing that smoking is just one of many efforts we can have in attempts to control how we feel) leads where we want to be 😊
It’s important for anyone who’s starting to or has been taking any psychotropic medication and wants stop to titrate slowly. Start or reduce in small increments. Break the pills into smaller portions. Most physicians do not inform patients to do this, which can create issues.
Im down to a tiny crumb of trazadone for almost 8 months so i finally stoppped 3 days ago. Man i feel so anxious today. I also take 15 mg of mirtazapene. Which is over the top hard . Im tapering that at 10 percent a month. Im off 7.5 only on Saturdays.
Currently cross-tapering from 150mg Trazodone to 10mg Lexapro. Been feeling like a zombie on Trazodone. I am anxious about the cross-taper, cuz Lexapro is a bit more stimulating. Gonna try me some Natto! I am very attached to the outcome of sleep and wanting to be able to do my activities the next day. Will return after reading your books and applying this method!
Hi great talk. I take it when I need it before traveling, full moon , new moon etc. For me it is far less damaging than not sleeping at as my nervous system goes into hyper arousal when I don't sleep and this can be a real struggle. Love and faith to everyone out there !!
I've been taking Trazadone for over 10 years. When I've tried to go off 100 mg trazodone my brain can't relax and I've gone 2 weeks without sleeping at night more than a few minutes. I'm back on now and freak out if I run out.
Thank you so much for your wonderful videos !! Your videos on SFI and the misnomers and misunderstandings behind it have really given me a positive boost during this storm. I ‘ve fallen into this rabbit hole and am on day number 3 . Hope tonight is better 🙏
Charles, I am so glad to read these lines and thanks so much for the support! I hope things will get easier soon for you, they do when we learn and we are willing to do a little bit of heart work. But yes just stay in touch and let us know how things go!
I was the same way with medication, but it was Ambien. I was down to .625mg a night and couldn’t stop taking it. That small of a dose does almost nothing physical, but it was mental. One night I stopped and just kept it going. I was off Ambien.
My journey is identical to Nick’s down to the marijuana causing the panic attack. I did get off the Trazadone and stopped the marijuana as well. Would love to speak on your show Daniel as I’m going through your program right now
Hi Coach Daniel, thanks for these videos! If you get a chance, wondering if you could do a video on Sunday night insomnia? I usually sleep well fri/sat but Sunday night before work I always end up getting just a few hrs of sleep at best, which I feel like triggers my insomnia throughout the week.
Anytime! Thanks for being here 🙂 and yes, this is such an obvious one when you say it, of course we need a Sunday night insomnia video! It’s on the list! In the meantime, episode 275 covers a similar topic, anticipatory insomnia. Hope that will work for now!
I’m finally tapering off of trazadone after 8 years of being on it. i’ve made the big mistake of going cold turkey, and it withdraws hit me like a truck. Anyway, it’s been about a week since I’ve taken the last crumbs from what was left. I am commenting on this video because I wander how long is it going to take for the trazodone to completely get out of my system? A doctor suggested to me to use psilocybin as a form of getting over trauma, by trazodone is apparently a “trip killer“. If you could help me with the timeframe of how long I should wait before taking psilocybin, I would greatly appreciate that.(I watch the whole video to look for this answer maybe I missed it?)
Good lord....many have a horrible time weaning if they are on 50 to 100 mgs...I'm on 300 mgs....want to get off it at some point. (Very severe insomnia for over a decade) been on it for 4 years. I'm weaning off of another med first (almost done) then will try to cut back on Trazadone. Working with my doctor on this but listening to others it makes me feel like I may never be able to get off it + sleep on my own...😢
Hang in there, Nick was I think in a fairly easy place here when we spoke, but there are many stories here from people who would recognize where you are and left the struggle. Hope you’ll find much here that will help, let us know how things go
This is so me. I tapered off hydroxyzine because I got tired of feeling groggy the next day. I stopped taking any meds for a long time and was doing great and now I’m in a speed bump so I’m back on meds. Been having trouble sleeping in the bed. Sometimes I do fine and other times I have to go to the recliner. I have a new baby and my husband is taking over baby duty at night and that is giving me anxiety and guilt about this which is not helping me. My logic brain understands the concept of it all being in my mind but it’s hard to let that catch up with your limbic system.
So glad you found a video you could relate to, and what you said last… this comes up often Chelsea. Check Insomnia insight 459 about the North Star, hope it will help 🙂
Caring for a baby is full time work. It's exhausting. When a mom and dad do it with team work, it is survivable. Why should you feel guilty for him helping out? This is part of marriage. There are many things that cause insomnia. Stress is one of those things. Your stress seems internal, not external. Therefore, you must control your thoughts. A karate instructor once said, "Control your thoughts, and control your life."
Hang in there Lisa, so sorry to hear about the struggle but glad you found our channel. You can learn so much by just browsing the videos, a great place to start is the This is Natto playlist. You can also go to our website if you’d like to connect with us for coaching. Hang in there, rooting for you 🙂
Hi there thank you for your story sinilar to mine...i would say you lower your dose 5 percent per months with water dilution and youll be fine that medication wd isnt creating insomnia but withdrawal can make you feel enegized and restless which can result in sleep deprivation..just my expirience regards Georg
I am going through a speed bump and after this episode I think part of the problem has been me pushing myself too hard about getting of my sleep meds. I had a few nights of great sleep without them so I thought why not go for it all the way. However during this time I have also started another part time job, I have started another med to take help control anxiety and I have a sick pet. Maybe timing is key too? After hearing this episode I feel like I am going to back off on the pressure for now and maybe try again down the road to stop the meds. It is just a very low dose of mirtazapine and a low dose beta blocker and I am sure that their help for me is mostly placebo, but there is still plenty of time to sort it all out. It doesn't need to be done all at once.
Hi Claire, You know, I’m so glad to read this comment, because I so believe you’re onto it, the gentle path, giving ourselves grace… yes this is the way. Especially since there’s been many challenging circumstances. You’ll arrive where you want to be 🙂
I took trazadone 3 times. Thats it. Im wanting stop because of the way I feel the next day but now im seeing all this about withdrawal symptoms if you quit cold turkey. What should I do????
Hi there, Of course no medical advice here but, what we talk about here is how often it’s our thoughts like “oh no I stopped to soon” that make us scared and lead to withdrawal symptoms rather than the absence of chemicals… the fear often is what creates struggle rather than stopping medication…
Dear daniel iam in desperate need for help😢,,I fall alseep fine ,, but have midnight awakenings 2 3 hours later and cannot fall back to sleep again,, what can i do in dis case,, will i ever improve??
Hang in there Raju! You know these are some of the most common questions from someone who does really well… it’s not easy but when we are willing to learn, then things start getting easier.. Here’s something to start with: What should you do when you wake up in the middle of the night or early in the morning? One thing that can really help is to know that humans wake up many times per hour (!) to scan the environment and make sure there is no threat and it’s safe to sleep. Waking up often is a normal part of sleep, most people just don’t remember! However, when being awake itself is starting to be thought of as a threat we can have long awakenings that we remember. Here are some practical ideas that can help. 1. How many times have you woken up, checked the time, and felt a wave of relief? And how many times have you seen what time it is and then started calculating - how much you’ve slept, how much time you have left to sleep and, how much you would sleep in total if you just fell asleep now?! Checking the time almost always leads to calculating and more pressure to sleep! So resist the urge! This is a very powerful act of letting go of control. 2. Acknowledge that you are awake. This may sound silly but it’s important. If you try to fight reality and make yourself sleep and you’re not accepting that you are awake, then you’ll have more frustration and more wakefulness. And by the way acknowledging is different from resignation. It’s kind of like saying it’s 72° outside it’s just like stating a fact. 3. This is probably the most important - befriend wakefulness! When you have had trouble sleeping, the brain has started seeing wakefulness at night as a threat. And this is why insomnia happens! When you teach it that being awake actually isn’t a threat, it can’t harm you, you start sleeping much better! So how does befriending wakefulness work? When you wake up at night try to see how you feel. If you are comfortable in bed and you can easily think of something pleasant then just stay in bed. You’ll probably sleep soon enough. If you are not easily distracted by your own thoughts, if you feel annoyed, then it’s important to do something that you enjoy. You can read a book or watch some Netflix in bed or outside of the bad. Whatever makes you feel least pressured and that you have the most pleasure. I know it’s hard when you want to be asleep, but it’s really important. Something that often comes up is, wouldn’t that make me more awake? It could. And that’s kind of the point! Insomnia happens because you’re trying to escape wakefulness. So when you do things that teach your brain that you are OK with being awake, everything changes. When your mind sees that being awake even at night is not a threat or an enemy, it becomes less excited when you’re awake at night and it allows you to sleep again.
Hi Paul, check with your prescriber of course but I’d say that as far as sleep goes, no chemicals can produce it so it’s not important if we take trazodone or a sleep aid or nothing at all. It’s our thoughts about this that matter (do we think they made us sleep? Are we judging ourselves for taking medication?)
Hang in there, pain and discomfort would make anyone have some sleep disruption, but what we call insomnia, the struggle from the fear of not sleeping… that can truly fade with some education and heart work
I don't understand the thumbnail. "I wan't off trazadone" is changed to "I want off Trazadone," with the wan't crossed off and replaced with want, but the meaning remaining the same?
Hi, Coach Daniel I am taking trazodone 50 mg, and I'm trying to come off it, but every time I try to lower it to 25 mg I have very bad anxiety, like on the verge of a panic attack, and a lot of nausea, even though I'm sleepin ok, I don't know what to do anymore to stop taking it.
Hi Juliana, Thanks for asking about this and you know, we teach a lot about conflict. Sometimes when we think it is really important that we come down on our medication, we feel really pressured and then we can have anxiety and feel nauseous and vomit and more. Which has nothing to do with the fact that we are coming down on the medication, but that we think it is important and we feel pressured. This understanding can really help.
Hey, it's me again. I've been sleeping better lately, but I'm currently on a speed bump again. Whenever I put my things away and lay down in my bed, my heart starts beating fast, I get REALLY hot and start sweating. The weird part is that I'm not even anxious at all. When things have calmed down and I move to my side, this happens again. I am pretty clueless right now as to what might be causing this since I do not have any anxious thoughts/feelings even in the midst of these 'attacks'.
Hi Dream, I’m glad to hear that you’ve been sleeping better, and these speed bumps are always something we can learn from. Here, I think this can be really helpful! Insomnia insight #372: Heart racing? Sweating? Breathing fast? It's not odd, it's out of context! ruclips.net/video/4Z7OYie9d78/видео.html
want not wan't
Oh my gosh 🤦🏽 - will correct, thanks for telling me Cassie!
Shes a Karon don't mind her
@@GraffitiKiid814 Get a dictionary and use it
Grammar police are the dumbest people out there. This is online content not a dissertation. But perhaps you are just the one too dumb to know how to read through typos.@@CassieDavis613
@@333cparker Grammar*
Daniel .........THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I cannot say this enough. Your non judgmental and unwavering support is invaluable, I am not just lucky but feel very blessed to have stumbled across this channel. I am finally beginning to see that light at the end of the tunnel, hopes for ending my 23 year battle with insomnia has been renewed. Keep going ......
Andrea, wow I’m so so glad you stumbled across our little ecosystem 😊 you’re so welcome, it’s meant for you. Learn and you’ll find things get easier and easier
So glad I wasted 35 minutes of my life listening to a video titled "Coming Off Trazadone" to find help....but the dude is STILL ON Trazadone....Great Job!!
He came on to help, which I think is a really nice thing to do. Hope you find what you’re looking for Jeff.
@@thesleepcoachschool8192wasn't a dig towards him...it was the misleading title for someone who is desperate to find a strategy to come off Trazadone..
I hear 🙂 and yes, the title, that’s 100% my responsibility. If you have a suggestion for a better title, let me know and I can change it. Hang in there Jeff
@@thesleepcoachschool8192 maybe..."Starting the Process of coming off Trazadone.."...???
@@JTRUTH2025 Just updated the title - hope it will be more helpful now to anyone who comes across this video. Thanks for your input Jeff
Thank you for the work you do Coach, please never stop ! You are helping so many people who owe you so much gratitude. Gonna listen to this episode soon.
Thanks so much. I am struggling with insomnia since 1994. Lupus patient. Had to take domonoct which has now stopped working. Took trabozone for. month. I am now sleeping night and day. Fortunately I am now retired & can afford to oversleep.
Thanks for sharing both of you ❤
Thanks much for the support 🤗
Coach and Nick thanks so much for this. Im dealing with this now. 😢
Anytime! So glad you found this 🙂
This is exactly where I am now. I listen to a movie, or music or something else on youtube and usually fall asleep after taking trazodone. Last night I didn't take it, and still listened to something and fell asleep. I got about 7 hours. I'd love to not have to take anything, but at this point my brain does the whole "should i?" Usually if I don't fall asleep like is discussed in this video. For now I'll take the listening to something to help my distract my mind. Hopefully in the future I wouldnt even need that if my brain would just not think about falling sleep.
Hi Rebecca, oh yes indeed sounds very much like Nick. And you know, I fully believe that when we say “this is ok, this is my normal now”… then there’s no rush, no pressure, and then things fall into place by themselves
It seems to me that this methodology can be used for quitting smoking..Insomnia is the thing that always drove me back to smoking and the FEAR of insomnia is the the thing that prevents me from trying again. Priceless!
Oh yes Laura I believe this very much. Actually some years ago, someone asked how to quit smoking. And as odd as it may sound, I said I think it’s about not pushing oneself, about not judging ourselves when we smoke… and he did quit smoking. Self kindness, and awareness (seeing that smoking is just one of many efforts we can have in attempts to control how we feel) leads where we want to be 😊
Great episode!
It’s important for anyone who’s starting to or has been taking any psychotropic medication and wants stop to titrate slowly.
Start or reduce in small increments.
Break the pills into smaller portions.
Most physicians do not inform patients to do this, which can create issues.
Im down to a tiny crumb of trazadone for almost 8 months so i finally stoppped 3 days ago. Man i feel so anxious today. I also take 15 mg of mirtazapene. Which is over the top hard . Im tapering that at 10 percent a month. Im off 7.5 only on Saturdays.
Hang in there Gina, thanks for sharing and, rooting so much for you
Currently cross-tapering from 150mg Trazodone to 10mg Lexapro. Been feeling like a zombie on Trazodone. I am anxious about the cross-taper, cuz Lexapro is a bit more stimulating. Gonna try me some Natto! I am very attached to the outcome of sleep and wanting to be able to do my activities the next day. Will return after reading your books and applying this method!
Hi great talk. I take it when I need it before traveling, full moon , new moon etc. For me it is far less damaging than not sleeping at as my nervous system goes into hyper arousal when I don't sleep and this can be a real struggle. Love and faith to everyone out there !!
Thanks Harv! I think it’s just so helpful to have this kind way, not pressing ourselves. Appreciate you sharing and being here much 😊
I flushed ambien down the toilet after watching your channel
Someone said education is better than sedation 🙂
Threw my trazedone in the trash
I've been taking Trazadone for over 10 years. When I've tried to go off 100 mg trazodone my brain can't relax and I've gone 2 weeks without sleeping at night more than a few minutes. I'm back on now and freak out if I run out.
So sorry to hear Diana, but glad you found our channel. Hope you’ll find everything you need here to leave the fears… be in touch, rooting for you
Wow, time to binge watch every video. Thanks so much, so glad I discovered this channel. Subbed
Phil! So glad you’re here, welcome 🤗
Thank you so much for your wonderful videos !! Your videos on SFI and the misnomers and misunderstandings behind it have really given me a positive boost during this storm. I ‘ve fallen into this rabbit hole and am on day number 3 . Hope tonight is better 🙏
Charles, I am so glad to read these lines and thanks so much for the support! I hope things will get easier soon for you, they do when we learn and we are willing to do a little bit of heart work. But yes just stay in touch and let us know how things go!
I was the same way with medication, but it was Ambien. I was down to .625mg a night and couldn’t stop taking it. That small of a dose does almost nothing physical, but it was mental. One night I stopped and just kept it going. I was off Ambien.
Well said, and so glad to read you arrived where you wanted to be 😊
Umberto2...how long took to get sleep back after off ambien
You can use Trazodone to get off the Ambien.
My journey is identical to Nick’s down to the marijuana causing the panic attack. I did get off the Trazadone and stopped the marijuana as well. Would love to speak on your show Daniel as I’m going through your program right now
Hi Romi,
So glad you found this and absolutely, email daniel@thesleepcoachschool.com and we will find a time to record an episode
Hi Coach Daniel, thanks for these videos! If you get a chance, wondering if you could do a video on Sunday night insomnia? I usually sleep well fri/sat but Sunday night before work I always end up getting just a few hrs of sleep at best, which I feel like triggers my insomnia throughout the week.
Anytime! Thanks for being here 🙂 and yes, this is such an obvious one when you say it, of course we need a Sunday night insomnia video! It’s on the list! In the meantime, episode 275 covers a similar topic, anticipatory insomnia. Hope that will work for now!
I have the same problem! I always sleep bad on Sunday’s even thought I try and treat it the same as every other night.
Thanks for sharing, even more reason to do this episode soon!
Same problem and it’s Sunday night lol!
Sorry to hear but - I did end up making that Sunday night insomnia episode!
It’s insomnia insight 444
It makes me feel congested as though I have a cold. I stopped taking it.
I’m finally tapering off of trazadone after 8 years of being on it. i’ve made the big mistake of going cold turkey, and it withdraws hit me like a truck. Anyway, it’s been about a week since I’ve taken the last crumbs from what was left. I am commenting on this video because I wander how long is it going to take for the trazodone to completely get out of my system? A doctor suggested to me to use psilocybin as a form of getting over trauma, by trazodone is apparently a “trip killer“. If you could help me with the timeframe of how long I should wait before taking psilocybin, I would greatly appreciate that.(I watch the whole video to look for this answer maybe I missed it?)
Hi Angel, check the first episode with Jim, we have a nice discussion, it’s an older one
Good lord....many have a horrible time weaning if they are on 50 to 100 mgs...I'm on 300 mgs....want to get off it at some point. (Very severe insomnia for over a decade) been on it for 4 years. I'm weaning off of another med first (almost done) then will try to cut back on Trazadone. Working with my doctor on this but listening to others it makes me feel like I may never be able to get off it + sleep on my own...😢
Hang in there, Nick was I think in a fairly easy place here when we spoke, but there are many stories here from people who would recognize where you are and left the struggle. Hope you’ll find much here that will help, let us know how things go
similar story to yours, same dose, im now about 18 months free, so it is possible, keep going!
This is so me. I tapered off hydroxyzine because I got tired of feeling groggy the next day. I stopped taking any meds for a long time and was doing great and now I’m in a speed bump so I’m back on meds. Been having trouble sleeping in the bed. Sometimes I do fine and other times I have to go to the recliner. I have a new baby and my husband is taking over baby duty at night and that is giving me anxiety and guilt about this which is not helping me. My logic brain understands the concept of it all being in my mind but it’s hard to let that catch up with your limbic system.
So glad you found a video you could relate to, and what you said last… this comes up often Chelsea. Check Insomnia insight 459 about the North Star, hope it will help 🙂
Caring for a baby is full time work. It's exhausting. When a mom and dad do it with team work, it is survivable. Why should you feel guilty for him helping out? This is part of marriage. There are many things that cause insomnia. Stress is one of those things. Your stress seems internal, not external. Therefore, you must control your thoughts. A karate instructor once said, "Control your thoughts, and control your life."
@@watchmanonthewall14 thank you for your insight. This is true
please can you help me, I am struggling with my life with this intense sleep anxiety and having to take Trazadone, thanks Lisa
Hang in there Lisa, so sorry to hear about the struggle but glad you found our channel. You can learn so much by just browsing the videos, a great place to start is the This is Natto playlist. You can also go to our website if you’d like to connect with us for coaching. Hang in there, rooting for you 🙂
Hi there thank you for your story sinilar to mine...i would say you lower your dose 5 percent per months with water dilution and youll be fine that medication wd isnt creating insomnia but withdrawal can make you feel enegized and restless which can result in sleep deprivation..just my expirience regards Georg
hey my Mirt friend how are u this is Aritra,BTW good advice
I am going through a speed bump and after this episode I think part of the problem has been me pushing myself too hard about getting of my sleep meds. I had a few nights of great sleep without them so I thought why not go for it all the way. However during this time I have also started another part time job, I have started another med to take help control anxiety and I have a sick pet. Maybe timing is key too? After hearing this episode I feel like I am going to back off on the pressure for now and maybe try again down the road to stop the meds. It is just a very low dose of mirtazapine and a low dose beta blocker and I am sure that their help for me is mostly placebo, but there is still plenty of time to sort it all out. It doesn't need to be done all at once.
Hi Claire,
You know, I’m so glad to read this comment, because I so believe you’re onto it, the gentle path, giving ourselves grace… yes this is the way. Especially since there’s been many challenging circumstances. You’ll arrive where you want to be 🙂
I took trazadone 3 times. Thats it. Im wanting stop because of the way I feel the next day but now im seeing all this about withdrawal symptoms if you quit cold turkey. What should I do????
Hi there,
Of course no medical advice here but, what we talk about here is how often it’s our thoughts like “oh no I stopped to soon” that make us scared and lead to withdrawal symptoms rather than the absence of chemicals… the fear often is what creates struggle rather than stopping medication…
👍🏽👊🏽
My doctor has me on 200mg a night I’m trying to cut it back slowly I want to get off it completely!
Dear daniel iam in desperate need for help😢,,I fall alseep fine ,, but have midnight awakenings 2 3 hours later and cannot fall back to sleep again,, what can i do in dis case,, will i ever improve??
Hang in there Raju! You know these are some of the most common questions from someone who does really well… it’s not easy but when we are willing to learn, then things start getting easier..
Here’s something to start with:
What should you do when you wake up in the middle of the night or early in the morning?
One thing that can really help is to know that humans wake up many times per hour (!) to scan the environment and make sure there is no threat and it’s safe to sleep. Waking up often is a normal part of sleep, most people just don’t remember!
However, when being awake itself is starting to be thought of as a threat we can have long awakenings that we remember.
Here are some practical ideas that can help.
1. How many times have you woken up, checked the time, and felt a wave of relief? And how many times have you seen what time it is and then started calculating - how much you’ve slept, how much time you have left to sleep and, how much you would sleep in total if you just fell asleep now?!
Checking the time almost always leads to calculating and more pressure to sleep!
So resist the urge! This is a very powerful act of letting go of control.
2. Acknowledge that you are awake. This may sound silly but it’s important. If you try to fight reality and make yourself sleep and you’re not accepting that you are awake, then you’ll have more frustration and more wakefulness. And by the way acknowledging is different from resignation. It’s kind of like saying it’s 72° outside it’s just like stating a fact.
3. This is probably the most important - befriend wakefulness! When you have had trouble sleeping, the brain has started seeing wakefulness at night as a threat. And this is why insomnia happens! When you teach it that being awake actually isn’t a threat, it can’t harm you, you start sleeping much better!
So how does befriending wakefulness work?
When you wake up at night try to see how you feel. If you are comfortable in bed and you can easily think of something pleasant then just stay in bed. You’ll probably sleep soon enough.
If you are not easily distracted by your own thoughts, if you feel annoyed, then it’s important to do something that you enjoy. You can read a book or watch some Netflix in bed or outside of the bad. Whatever makes you feel least pressured and that you have the most pleasure. I know it’s hard when you want to be asleep, but it’s really important.
Something that often comes up is, wouldn’t that make me more awake?
It could. And that’s kind of the point!
Insomnia happens because you’re trying to escape wakefulness. So when you do things that teach your brain that you are OK with being awake, everything changes.
When your mind sees that being awake even at night is not a threat or an enemy, it becomes less excited when you’re awake at night and it allows you to sleep again.
So Coach, should it be ok to stop taking trazodone and switch to an over the counter sleep aid?
Hi Paul, check with your prescriber of course but I’d say that as far as sleep goes, no chemicals can produce it so it’s not important if we take trazodone or a sleep aid or nothing at all. It’s our thoughts about this that matter (do we think they made us sleep? Are we judging ourselves for taking medication?)
Dont feel bad age 62 Chronic pain two spinal fusions wake up every 3 hrs all night long 🥶🥶
Hang in there, pain and discomfort would make anyone have some sleep disruption, but what we call insomnia, the struggle from the fear of not sleeping… that can truly fade with some education and heart work
I don't understand the thumbnail. "I wan't off trazadone" is changed to "I want off Trazadone," with the wan't crossed off and replaced with want, but the meaning remaining the same?
Hi! It was just a typo and I didn’t have time to make a new thumbnail, but just about Nick who wants to come off Trazodone, same meaning
This guy takes Trazodone on and off.
"I thought I got sick with you know what"
Remember when we didn’t even want to say COVID 🙂
Staying asleep that's the problem
Hang in there Fred, we have content on sleep maintenance insomnia that I hope will help
What about musical ear syndrome keeping people awake
Hi Janel, if you listen to Kristen’s story, she had this. She realized it was part of hyperarousal
Hi, Coach Daniel
I am taking trazodone 50 mg, and I'm trying to come off it, but every time I try to lower it to 25 mg I have very bad anxiety, like on the verge of a panic attack, and a lot of nausea, even though I'm sleepin ok, I don't know what to do anymore to stop taking it.
Hi Juliana,
Thanks for asking about this and you know, we teach a lot about conflict. Sometimes when we think it is really important that we come down on our medication, we feel really pressured and then we can have anxiety and feel nauseous and vomit and more. Which has nothing to do with the fact that we are coming down on the medication, but that we think it is important and we feel pressured. This understanding can really help.
Hey, it's me again.
I've been sleeping better lately, but I'm currently on a speed bump again.
Whenever I put my things away and lay down in my bed, my heart starts beating fast, I get REALLY hot and start sweating. The weird part is that I'm not even anxious at all. When things have calmed down and I move to my side, this happens again.
I am pretty clueless right now as to what might be causing this since I do not have any anxious thoughts/feelings even in the midst of these 'attacks'.
Hi Dream,
I’m glad to hear that you’ve been sleeping better, and these speed bumps are always something we can learn from.
Here, I think this can be really helpful!
Insomnia insight #372: Heart racing? Sweating? Breathing fast? It's not odd, it's out of context!
ruclips.net/video/4Z7OYie9d78/видео.html
Hi I would try b12 injected this really helped calm my nervous system . I can give you the full protocol if your interested.
Over 30 minutes and not a single alternative mentioned.
Hi Ross, you mean an alternative to Trazodone?