How Amanda reclaimed her life from insomnia and abandoned all the rules and rituals that were making things more difficult (#47)
Insomnia Coach® PodcastShow Notes
Amanda's insomnia was triggered by a number of stressors — having a baby, relocating, getting a new job, and dealing with a toxic parent.
She tried several sleep aids and implemented a number of sleep rules and rituals but found no real relief until she explored a different approach.
She started to acknowledge and accept her thoughts and feelings instead of trying to control them. She started to get more comfortable with nighttime wakefulness. And, she started to focus on the good things in her life and doing things that mattered to her.
As a result, she was able to move away from chasing after sleep and successfully reclaimed her life from insomnia.
Watch/listen to this episode
More from Insomnia Coach® Podcast
Morgan rarely thought about sleep until a concussion in 2023 changed everything. As she dealt with dizziness, nausea, ringing in her head, and disrupted sleep, she tried medication, supplements, detailed sleep tracking, and strict sleep rules.
After one sleepless night around his 17th birthday, Joey began to fear the next night. Soon, thoughts about sleep followed him through the day. He stopped going out, struggled to watch films, and sat inside with the curtains drawn.
Lu spent most of her life as a great sleeper. Then, six weeks after having her first baby, a painful mix of pressure, anxiety, and one sleepless night made sleep feel difficult for the first time.
Casaundra’s insomnia first showed up in college. From then on, it would come and go during periods of stress. After getting married, insomnia showed up and this time it didn’t go away. Before long, Casaundra would notice a feeling of anxiety as soon as her head hit the pillow. Nights started to feel like a battle.
Today, I’m talking with Farrukh — someone whose experience with insomnia slowly began to take over more and more of his life.