How Scott overcame sleep-related worry and anxiety and got rid of insomnia (Podcast #4)
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- Опубликовано: 23 июл 2024
- Scott slept well his entire life until he listened to a podcast that led him to worry about how much sleep he was getting and the health consequences of insufficient sleep. That night, Scott had a terrible night of sleep and this triggered a vicious cycle of ever-increasing worry about sleep and increasingly worse sleep that lasted for ten months.
In this episode, we’ll discover how Scott managed to get his sleep back on track, how well he sleeps now, and what life is like now he no longer worries about sleep.
You can read the transcript for this episode on the Insomnia Coach website at: insomniacoach.com/scott-sleep...
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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 insomniacoach.com/sleep-train...
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All content found on the Insomnia Coach RUclips channel is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice or medical treatment 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 other licensed healthcare provider. All content is provided as is, and without warranties.
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All content found on the Insomnia Coach RUclips 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.
Fantastic to hear success stories like this. These accounts of recovery are fuel in the tank for us insomniacs, especially when we’re in a bad spell. I’ve been implementing SR & SC and I’m starting to feel the benefits (I’ve had insomnia for years so it’s taken me a while to embed the practice). I’m actually falling asleep on the sofa now while watching TV which I haven’t done in years!! Something is definitely shifting and it feels great. To all insomniacs out there, be rigorous, follow the CBT-I practice - persevere, persevere, preserver - you will get there. Thanks Martin once again for sharing.
So happy to hear you're making progress and that you are enjoying the podcast!
How’s your sleep these days and what’s SC
Stimulus control nvm
Scott nipped it at the bud. When he says it was "easy" to commit, he didn't mention it would be difficult to implement.
It's the 3rd day and it's 6:00 AM and I didn't sleep a wink. It's damn hard to get off you butt from bed and starting your day at the prescribed wakeup time.
But, then again, I've had it off and on since 1984. If I had to summarize/simplify: Implement the Bootzin technique (SRT/SCT) religiously. Don't sleep/rest in an extra hour or three. Maintain the TIB. Minimize sleep thoughts during the day, ideally (really tough when your eyes are burning and forehead feels 3 inches thick). Persevere. Even for you guys who have it the worst : maintain, don't give up ! You'll get there.
Sounds like you have a clear plan in place, Michael! These techniques are easy to learn, but they can be very challenging to implement (especially in the first few weeks).
This is so so helpful and empowering. Thank you.
You're welcome!
This is the video people with insomnia need. Brought tear to my eyes really. Thank you
I really appreciate you sharing that, Chris. Thank you.
Man this is describing me exactly, even that bit about the body warming and the anxiety settling in. Thanks to you two for this podcast it gives me encouragement to continue on.
This is great to hear, John! If you recognize yourself in this episode, there's no reason to believe you can't get your sleep right back on track just as Scott did!
@@InsomniaCoach I rewatch this podcast when I face a setback, it refills me with hope. Thanks again
@@johnlee1511 So happy to hear this, John! Keep going - you've got this!
It’s quite interesting that everything Scott experienced is my experience as well. I even also got the sleep book and read it. It did also help me to manage and get used to anxiety around negative sleep thoughts. I just found it hard staying in bed all night with the thoughts while I wasn’t sleeping. I am currently trying both SR and working to reestablish the bed as a sleep cue. I feel so sleepy, almost nodding off, two hours before my sleep window starts. I go to bed get maybe 2 hours or less of sleep then I head back to the living room. I end up fighting hard to keep myself awake on the couch then I go to the room and i find myself unable to sleep. I will keep going as I am only just starting the second week of implementing the SR technique. It’s very encouraging to see someone who was able to get out of the shoes I am currently in.
Thanks for sharing, Henry! Insomnia from person to person is virtually identical - and realizing that can sometimes be quite reassuring!
How are you now? I was almost drifting off near my sleep window, but as soon as my head touches the pillow, i cannot fall asleep. I still feel drowsy though, but i just cant get to sleep.
@@agungputra3188 I was recommended to read two books ‘Anxiety Panicking about Panic’ by Joshua Fletcher and ‘why has nobody told me this before’ by Julie Smith. Reflecting on everything now, I suspect it was all due to Anxiety. I was prescribed medication which I still am on. In the near future, I will be taken off it. If you are able, It might be worth it taking some time to relax because I found the tension was making it hard for me to sleep. The first book will really help you if you can lay your hands on it. I wish I read it before. It would have made a huge difference.
I have GAD and insomnia, i am listening to you and relating to everything you say. Except I tried your 2 weeks course but it didn’t change anything for me. I continued to implementing your technics but it didn’t help at all. I am so happy for those it helped and wish it worked in my case as well. 😢
I think it can be difficult if we expect to notice big changes in just two weeks. It usually takes a bit more practice (and time) for that to happen. With that being said, my free sleep training course covers the core CBT-I techniques that help tackle the thoughts and behaviors that can perpetuate sleep disruption. If they are used in an effort to make sleep happen they can end up being actions that aren't so helpful since, after all, sleep cannot be directly controlled.
There's a lot more than can help beyond (and in addition to) CBT-I - particularly when it comes to dealing with the struggle we often engage in when faced with insomnia. (A struggle that can make things more difficult.) And, this is the focus of my work these days and is reflected in more recent podcast episodes.
This is exactly what I needed to hear today. I’m going through the exact same thing and was at my breaking point. The GP prescribed 2mg of Circadin Melatonin tablets that have helped some nights but not all. What are yours thoughts on Melatonin tablets? My rationale is, if I can get several days of good sleep, I’ll be able to shake the insomnia off.
Listening to this has given me hope of a brighter future - Thank You!
Thanks for letting me know this video was helpful! I don't know of any evidence that melatonin is an effective treatment for chronic insomnia. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is usually recommended as the first-line treatment for chronic insomnia. Here's an overview of CBT-I techniques: insomniacoach.com/cognitive-behavioral-therapy-insomnia/
Scott I want to go on this 30day long walk across Spain. I’m just wondering if that’s wise with insomnia and a tired body
Which of those things can you directly control? Sleep or going on a 30-day walk across Spain? If you give yourself the opportunity for sleep to happen, your body will always generate - at the very least - the minimum amount of sleep you need.
What can you do about EARLY MORNING WAKENING? No one really addresses this... going to sleep is easy but what can you do to keep from waking up??? Why do you wake up? How do you stop it??
I can only sleep for about 4 hours, undergoing sleep restriction - 5 weeks. ZERO improvement, may have slept slightly better before it - less sleep efficiency but more time asleep and better rested.
What can I possibly do? Like everyone else I’ve tried it all.
Thanks for your question, Jason! First of all, waking during the night (or early morning) is completely normal. Most people don't even remember waking because they don't pay any attention to these awakenings.
If you find it hard to fall back to sleep after waking, this can be due to insufficient sleep drive (in other words, you are no longer sleepy enough for sleep), your body clock may be disrupted (if you don't have a regular sleep schedule then your body clock might be sending alerting signals even though you want to fall back to sleep), or high levels of sleep-related worry/arousal that can make falling back to sleep very difficult.
You mentioned that you have been trying sleep restriction - have you combined this with stimulus control (in other words, are you also repeatedly getting out of bed when you can't fall back to sleep and only returning to bed when you feel sleepy enough for sleep)?
You might find this video helpful: ruclips.net/video/AixNyAAXbqA/видео.html
@@InsomniaCoach Thanks Marten - i found it helpful. When i do get up, i rarely can return to sleep or i get fragmented sleep on the couch if i'm lucky. Generally i am tired/feel unrested (most times i sleep about 12:30-4:30am) and then can't go back. I don't believe in the last few years i've ever been able to return to my bedroom bed and fall back asleep other than one or two rare occasions.
I suppose if i can't return to sleep, just stay up and hope my sleep drive is higher the next night and repeat the process of getting out of bed when i awake/can't sleep? And eventually my body/mind will be trained to sleep all the way through??
Is that how it works? Thank you!
@@smith168 Have you always been an early-riser? If so, you might find it helpful to slightly advance your sleep window so it starts and ends a bit earlier. Otherwise, the process of repeatedly getting in and out of bed when you are struggling to sleep will usually help you "relearn" to associate the bed with sleep over the long term - and the time spent out of bed will also strengthen sleep drive (as long as you are able to avoid sleeping on the couch).
@@InsomniaCoach oh i see, so i shouldn't try to sleep on the couch - even if i can? I should just get up and do something? I suspect it will take me several days of getting up and getting poor rest and sucking it up until bedtime to sleep through.
At least i'll be tired enough to possibly push me further. I think i'm starting to understand..Stimulus control sucks - hard to do when you're super tired and can almost sleep but not quite. i'll give it a shot.
For the record, you do know what you are talking about and appear to be the most qualified CBT-I guy on youtube. I've turned several people in my insomnia support fb group onto you. You do fantastic work and are extremely helpful and detailed - you drill home points that others carelessly leave out. Thank you Marten
@@smith168 If you're finding it hard to sleep in your bed but your long-term goal is to sleep in your bed (rather than the couch), then it's usually best to avoid sleeping anywhere other than your bed.
You might find this video helpful: "If you want to sleep in your own bed, your own bed should be the only place you sleep" - ruclips.net/video/LrNu80ePuA0/видео.html
Thank you for your kind words about the RUclips channel, too - they are appreciated!
How best to deal with sleep issues while recovering from weening off medication.
I think the process is the same, regardless of whether someone is weaning off medication or not. Since all the struggle we engage in with insomnia is what provides insomnia with the oxygen it needs to survive, a helpful approach might involve moving away from the struggle - moving away from trying to make sleep happen, trying to get rid of wakefulness, trying to fight or avoid the difficult thoughts and feelings that can come with insomnia, while being kind to ourselves and doing things that help us move toward the life we want to live, even in the presence of all this difficult stuff. When sleep becomes less of our focus, it can become a lot easier.
@Insomnia Coach to a point yes, but not sure how aware you are of the damage sleep meds do to the sleep receptors, and the unbalance with the gabba and glutathione, much of this healing process is out of one's hands , that only answer is time,
Have you ever came across someone who was say on Benzos for say 10 -12 yrs and slept almost immediately , or after they took your course,,, if so eould enjoy hearing that youtube Millions of benzo suffers wish it was just changing ones thaught process that would bring sleep. COMING OFF OF LONG TERM BENZO IS A WHOLE DIFFERENT WORLD. But ya right, the more we resist the more they persist
@@garysimone4977 Benzos can definitely make things more difficult and it can be a long process to move away from them.
@Insomnia Coach yes that I know all to well, ever work with anyone who just came off benzos .
@@garysimone4977 I have.
That aurtor Walker is scaring rglhe hell out of people the WHO even dis credit him
I am certainly not a big fan of his!
@@InsomniaCoach amen to that, the WHO had a problem eith him, several scientists took issues with his mis representation, he sells a book that tge avg person has no idea how he had to walk back much of what he wrote , Even the University he represented had to issue a opps, sorry.. All about the money,,,
I just can’t help but worry about the dangerous effects of going too long without sleep. It’s ruined me. I’m afraid of hallucinations and delusions and such from not sleeping
Worry is natural and normal (and often difficult). It's how we respond to that worry that matters.
@@InsomniaCoach are those sleep hallucinations common?
@@pinmeister987 Hallucinations aren't often associated with chronic insomnia, but sleep is a strange thing and can create all sorts of odd and unusual experiences!
@@InsomniaCoach would your body likely fall asleep prior to those symptoms occurring?
@@pinmeister987 It's hard to say - I believe that hallucinations can happen at all different times and be caused and influenced by many things other than sleep. What I can tell you is that when we've been awake for long enough, sleep will always happen.
Harder we try to sleep less of a chance sleep will come
Exactly!
This guy was very lucky.
Why do you feel Scott was lucky, Gary? I'd love to hear more!
@@InsomniaCoach b e saw results fast,,, was healthy, no other meds involved etc.... THE PROTOCOL WAS was fastzacting for him, ..I wonder how many people give up after say a month or so
@@garysimone4977 If only we could control progress! Some people experience improvements really quickly, others take longer. We can't control progress, only implementation! If we try to control progress, we might be more likely to give up - just as you suggested.
@@InsomniaCoach great pt.... very good pt...