How Joey went from missing his own birthday party because of insomnia to enjoying nights out again by making space for anxious thoughts (#82)
Insomnia Coach® PodcastShow Notes
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.
He tried herbal tea, meditation, rain sounds, earlier bedtimes, and forcing the thoughts away. The more he tried to solve sleep and silence his mind, the more stuck he felt.
What helped was allowing the thoughts to be there while returning to the things that mattered. Joey went back to the cinema, gym, college, sports, and nights out. The thoughts did not suddenly and permanently disappear — but Joey learned he could bring them along and still live his life.
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