How I overcame insomnia for good
Hi all,
to make a long story short, I had trouble sleeping for five years, and I tried a lot of things that didn't help. I took all kinds of pills and supplements, but they often made things worse. I even had some really dark times where I nearly ended my life twice. For some lucky reason, I found The Sleep Coach School on YouTube, a channel by a sleep expert named Daniel Erichsen.
Daniel used to be a sleep physician, but he realized the conventional CBT-I approach didn’t really work well with his patients, so he developed an effortless approach to sleep.
From him, I’ve learned that there’s nothing you have to do to find peaceful sleep again, and that desperately trying to control sleep with routines and stimulus controls just gets in the way of a fundamentally natural process. It’s our anxiety around sleep that perpetuates the struggle, not having ‘bad’ sleep hygiene.
Another big one for me, as I have health anxiety, was learning that lack of sleep does not really affect your health, studies have shown that people with insomnia live just as long as others, and that you can do absolutely anything with very little sleep. I was surprised to find out I could still go to work and the gym even when I didn't sleep at all.
It's not a quick fix, though. It took me about 4-5 months of ups and downs to get better. But I did overcome my sleep problems gradually by learning to let go of my fears.
You can watch Daniel's videos for free on YouTube. If you need more help, there's an app where you can talk one-on-one with a sleep coach, or you can join a group of people who have regular calls with coaches. Also, if you want a summary of his teachings, you can check out his book called 'This is Natto.'
To beat insomnia, I made some simple changes:
I stuck to a regular sleep schedule.
Developed a relaxing bedtime routine.
Made my bedroom cozy for sleep.
Tried natural remedies like herbal tea.
Addressed any underlying issues like stress.
Stayed patient and persistent.
With these steps, I managed to overcome insomnia, and you can too
..Modalert 100mg helped me overcome insomnia by promoting wakefulness during the day, breaking the cycle of sleeplessness. By taking it in the morning, I regained control over my sleep patterns, feeling refreshed and alert during the day and able to sleep more soundly at night.
Hi
. I see you are new to the community. Welcome! How awesome that you were able to break that cycle. How long were you on Modalert? Were you able to wean off it once you established new sleep patterns? Thanks for sharing what helps. Best wishes. - Lori (Team Member)
How easy the first months? I have a lot of afraid to BE crazy because insomnia
hi
, it's definitely not easy at the beginning and it takes a while to practice to not react so much to your thoughts and emotions, instead just letting them come and go on their own. I can assure you that lack of sleep will not make you crazy. In fact, our bodies will always get the minimum sleep they need, and often we sleep even though we are not aware of it (something called paradoxical insomnia or sleep-state misperception, if you want to read more about it). Lack of sleep cannot make you crazy but heightened anxiety can sometimes make it feel as if you experience weird things, or hyper-events, but as with other emotions, it is only temporary and cannot harm or hurt you in any way. In fact, a meta-analysis of 37 MILLION people showed that people with insomnia have the same life expectancy as 'normal' sleepers. (you can read the article here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1087079218300741)
Hi
. Thanks for sharing what helps. It sounds like this approach was exacty what you needed. Sleep anxiety is real and serious. It is hard to know which approach (BT-I, counseling, medications) will help people to learn to relax so they can get the kind of quality sleep they need. Everyone is wired so differently. How awesome that this program, which seems to be a form of counseling or therapy, worked for you. I hope ot helps as well. Wishing you the best. - Lori (Team Member)
