I have been making myself face the fear, laying in bed just feeling it, befriending it…..and I do that until I realize it has been all night, and I start bawling in sheer frustration. I haven’t been able to find any experience that moves me in a healing direction, and this umpteenth speed bump has been overwhelming. I’m so grateful to have material to fill my brain with during the day so I’m not completely hopeless.
Doing CBT-I or sleep hygiene or efforts or avoidance created expectations and pressure to fall asleep or have a better sleep, and when that didn’t happen there was disappointment and frustration and made me feel like a victim, poor me 😢. What a big rabbit hole that was. So happy I’m no longer in it. Thank you Alina for your channel here on youtube.
I no longer ruminate or fear insomnia. I haven’t slept well for more than 4 decades. I let go most attempts to control which is nice. Now it just pisses me off because I am so sick and tired of being exhausted mentally physically and emotionally.
finally found someone who can properly understand what i am going through. listening to alina makes me feel more relieved that im not alone. not sure when i will get out of this cycle but i know one day i'll get there.
Came back to this video again and surprised to see my own comment 4 weeks ago 😅 I believe I had met my speed bump. However after listening to Alina, I became calmer even though I can't sleep at 5am. Just trying to accept my circumstance even though it's really hard to fully surrender the control of sleep.
Thank you. I have been struggling with insomnia for 5 months now and find this very topic very difficult. I think "panicking" in bed might cause a wrong association. On the other hand, I have also found that I was actually irritated by getting up every time in the middle of the night... this remains tricky.
Best channel about sleep by far My insomnia started 4 years ago because panic attacks caused by my heart skipping some beats and i developed cardiophobia and fear of death and later on insomnia because probably my brain associated sleep with death Even today i have like 2-3 nights/month where i dont sleep at all but it's starting to get better😊
Great video! This really rings true, the concept of pressure causing hyperarousal which causes insomnia. It doesn’t matter if you’re pressured to get up or pressured to stay in bed. Either way, pressure is not a sleep-friendly force.
I agree with your approach that what is right is what reduces pressure - CBTI rigidity puts me off that approach and living in Thailand with the need for air conditioning at night and having a partner it is unrealistic to go to another room and turn on 2nd air con - expensive - I prefer Act but again this can lead to long periods of wakefulness - I read a bit have a cup of tea , relax awake - mix it up but a sleepless night will still leave you pretty tired in the morning - Quick question - naps What is your view with its impact on sleep drive and nightly sleep
Sometimes it takes me hours to fall asleep, at times up to 4 hours, is it best just to get up vs just laying there and stay up until it’s bedtime again? Some say 2 hours is better than none but tossing for hours makes the bed a dreadful place
Sometimes, getting up is definitely a more freeing option, especially when there is a lot of frustration and pressure coming from having to stay in bed all the time. But also knowing that you can come back to bed anytime (and get up again if needed!) can be comforting.
hi alina.. can you make a video on our acceptability boundaries. i have gone through sleepless night many times, but the next night i slept even for some hours..i somehow got used to it but recently i had two back to back sleepless nights not even for a minuite and this scared the hell out of me bcz the second day was horrible. i had excessive fatigue brain fog except sleepiness.. now my mindset became somewhat like i can go with two nights but not three.. expecting your answer on this
Also considering doing tms to treat my anxiety and migraine. However those two are the main cause of my insomnia. If I treat my anxiety will that count as sleep effort? (Wrote this in email but it might not go through due to some problems and hopefully comments help others)
It's 5 am and I got no sleep. Took medication that made me drowsy but too anxious. Had stomach ache but then eye pain made me take off the sleep mask which made me too anxious to sleep. I keep watching lights and calculating how much sleep I'll get without the eye mask. Any suggestions?
yess many times.. coming off sleeping pills is extra struggle which feels more intense than insomnia itself..better spend sleepless night occasionally.
@@TaylorQuince19493 not so good. recently had a speed bump which physically and emotionally made me so drained. two sleepless nights back to back..may b because i was tapering mirtazapine. that's why i am saying medicine adds extra pressure on you. it may give temporally relief but it prolongs your insomnia recovery journey. and no.. i dont use sleeping mask.
Pills are for anxiety reduction not for sleep so get off them unless you have severe anxiety - Doctors prescribe as an easy option but they know they can't help with insomnia because they can't help with fear
Yess. I was having the same question to coach Alina. Wakefulness itself feels cozy and comfortable in bed. It does not trigger any fear from it if it is not accompanied with tiredness the next day. So mainly the fear comes from the consequences of wakefulness in the future and not from wakefulness in itself.
Well why can't you leave the future to the future. Who knows exactly what will happen in the future anyways and why should you be bothered by what happens in the future? It's the present you should focus on
Your channel is a pure relief. It's really interesting that this idea came to my mind several weeks ago.
I have been making myself face the fear, laying in bed just feeling it, befriending it…..and I do that until I realize it has been all night, and I start bawling in sheer frustration. I haven’t been able to find any experience that moves me in a healing direction, and this umpteenth speed bump has been overwhelming. I’m so grateful to have material to fill my brain with during the day so I’m not completely hopeless.
"insomnia is pressure"
Totally felt that. Of course there is a predispositinal factor to it a lot of times but this sums it up perfectly for me
Doing CBT-I or sleep hygiene or efforts or avoidance created expectations and pressure to fall asleep or have a better sleep, and when that didn’t happen there was disappointment and frustration and made me feel like a victim, poor me 😢. What a big rabbit hole that was. So happy I’m no longer in it. Thank you Alina for your channel here on youtube.
I no longer ruminate or fear insomnia. I haven’t slept well for more than 4 decades. I let go most attempts to control which is nice. Now it just pisses me off because I am so sick and tired of being exhausted mentally physically and emotionally.
finally found someone who can properly understand what i am going through. listening to alina makes me feel more relieved that im not alone. not sure when i will get out of this cycle but i know one day i'll get there.
🙏❤️
Came back to this video again and surprised to see my own comment 4 weeks ago 😅
I believe I had met my speed bump. However after listening to Alina, I became calmer even though I can't sleep at 5am. Just trying to accept my circumstance even though it's really hard to fully surrender the control of sleep.
Thank you. I have been struggling with insomnia for 5 months now and find this very topic very difficult. I think "panicking" in bed might cause a wrong association. On the other hand, I have also found that I was actually irritated by getting up every time in the middle of the night... this remains tricky.
Love your approach! Best channel I've seen on the topic, you deserve more subs!
Best channel about sleep by far
My insomnia started 4 years ago because panic attacks caused by my heart skipping some beats and i developed cardiophobia and fear of death and later on insomnia because probably my brain associated sleep with death
Even today i have like 2-3 nights/month where i dont sleep at all but it's starting to get better😊
So glad to hear that things are going better for you, keep at it! :) Thanks for being here!
Great video! This really rings true, the concept of pressure causing hyperarousal which causes insomnia. It doesn’t matter if you’re pressured to get up or pressured to stay in bed. Either way, pressure is not a sleep-friendly force.
Thank you Alina. What you are talking is so true❤ You really express how we really feel . This is really great
I agree with your approach that what is right is what reduces pressure - CBTI rigidity puts me off that approach and living in Thailand with the need for air conditioning at night and having a partner it is unrealistic to go to another room and turn on 2nd air con - expensive - I prefer Act but again this can lead to long periods of wakefulness - I read a bit have a cup of tea , relax awake - mix it up but a sleepless night will still leave you pretty tired in the morning - Quick question - naps What is your view with its impact on sleep drive and nightly sleep
thank you four your content!!
Sometimes it takes me hours to fall asleep, at times up to 4 hours, is it best just to get up vs just laying there and stay up until it’s bedtime again? Some say 2 hours is better than none but tossing for hours makes the bed a dreadful place
Sometimes, getting up is definitely a more freeing option, especially when there is a lot of frustration and pressure coming from having to stay in bed all the time. But also knowing that you can come back to bed anytime (and get up again if needed!) can be comforting.
hi alina.. can you make a video on our acceptability boundaries. i have gone through sleepless night many times, but the next night i slept even for some hours..i somehow got used to it
but recently i had two back to back sleepless nights not even for a minuite and this scared the hell out of me bcz the second day was horrible.
i had excessive fatigue brain fog except sleepiness..
now my mindset became somewhat like i can go with two nights but not three..
expecting your answer on this
Also considering doing tms to treat my anxiety and migraine. However those two are the main cause of my insomnia. If I treat my anxiety will that count as sleep effort? (Wrote this in email but it might not go through due to some problems and hopefully comments help others)
It's 5 am and I got no sleep. Took medication that made me drowsy but too anxious. Had stomach ache but then eye pain made me take off the sleep mask which made me too anxious to sleep. I keep watching lights and calculating how much sleep I'll get without the eye mask. Any suggestions?
I als had eye problem with medication and still having problem with eyes without medicine. How do you feel now?
Have you ever got 0 hours of sleep despite taking pills?
yess many times.. coming off sleeping pills is extra struggle which feels more intense than insomnia itself..better spend sleepless night occasionally.
@@sabikunnaher1564 how are you doing now? Do you use sleeping mask?
@@TaylorQuince19493 not so good. recently had a speed bump which physically and emotionally made me so drained. two sleepless nights back to back..may b because i was tapering mirtazapine.
that's why i am saying medicine adds extra pressure on you. it may give temporally relief but it prolongs your insomnia recovery journey.
and no.. i dont use sleeping mask.
Pills are for anxiety reduction not for sleep so get off them unless you have severe anxiety - Doctors prescribe as an easy option but they know they can't help with insomnia because they can't help with fear
Fear of wakefulness is so simple but so difficult not to have. Mine is a lot about fear of what happens in the future if I'm awake now..😢
Yess. I was having the same question to coach Alina.
Wakefulness itself feels cozy and comfortable in bed. It does not trigger any fear from it if it is not accompanied with tiredness the next day. So mainly the fear comes from the consequences of wakefulness in the future and not from wakefulness in itself.
Well why can't you leave the future to the future. Who knows exactly what will happen in the future anyways and why should you be bothered by what happens in the future? It's the present you should focus on
@@johnmonk3381 Thank you! This requires practice. But it is helpful
Fear of wakefulness is so simple but so difficult not to have. Mine is a lot about fear of what happens in the future if I'm awake now..😢