How Nina overcame insomnia by embracing wakefulness and dropping the struggle (#57)

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Nina typically dealt with occasional periods of sleep disruption by taking some form of over-the-counter medication. When she fell pregnant this was no longer an option. Work stress seemed to make sleep more difficult and so Nina stopped taking on work. Her sleep would improve but every time she started working again, she struggled with sleep all over again.

At this point, Nina thought her ongoing struggle with sleep might be down to pregnancy hormones and yet, after giving birth, her sleep seemed to get even worse. Nina tried to make sleep happen by consuming alcohol, taking supplements, and meditating. She tried hypnosis. Her doctor prescribed her medication but the side-effects were awful. Nothing worked and Nina felt stuck, she felt scared, and she didn’t know what to do.

Then, Nina found the Insomnia Coach podcast. She realized she wasn’t alone. That there was hope. When we started working together, Nina started to make changes. She started to do things that mattered each day, even after difficult nights and even when that felt really difficult. Instead of struggling with being awake during the night, she planned and engaged in activities that would help make being awake feel a bit more productive or a bit more pleasant.

Nina gave herself permission to be awake. She was kinder to herself when things felt difficult. She stopped trying to get a certain amount or type of sleep. She focused on actions that would help her get her life back from insomnia rather than continuing to battle with insomnia.

Nina’s journey was not easy. There were setbacks. She went back to sleeping pills from time to time. Today, Nina is back at work. She enjoys her bed again. She is being the mother she wants to be. She has her life back from insomnia.

Chapters:

00:00:00 Introduction
00:04:00 Sleep Disruption During Pregnancy
00:06:06 Struggles Returning to Work
00:07:33 Sleep Gets Worse After Baby
00:09:03 Realizing It Might Be Insomnia
00:10:52 Trying Everything to Fix Sleep
00:14:29 Medication and Side Effects
00:16:31 Searching for Hope
00:18:01 Feeling Dismissed by Professionals
00:20:14 The Fear Spiral and Insomnia
00:22:05 Sleeping Pills and Loss of Control
00:24:29 First Steps Toward a New Approach
00:25:08 Embracing Wakefulness at Night
00:27:05 Making Life Bigger Than Insomnia
00:30:07 Planning Nights to Reduce Struggle
00:32:36 Reframing Nighttime Wakefulness
00:35:13 Fears vs. Reality of the Day
00:37:01 Building a New Relationship with Sleep
00:39:42 Reclaiming Life Despite Tiredness
00:41:02 Dropping Resistance to Insomnia
00:43:24 Accepting the Struggle as Temporary
00:45:16 Practicing Acceptance Day and Night
00:47:01 “What If This Doesn’t Work for Me?”
00:50:01 Believing Change is Possible
00:52:18 Signs of Real Progress
00:54:02 Returning to Work With New Tools
00:56:11 Relapse Risk and Learning From It
00:58:05 Timeline for Recovery
00:59:23 Reflecting on Goals and Progress

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My name is Martin Reed and I am the founder of Insomnia Coach®. I offer sleep coaching programs that will help you stop struggling with sleep so you can get your life back from insomnia. I also offer a free two-week sleep training course for insomnia at https://insomniacoach.com/sleep-train...

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All content found on the Insomnia Coach YouTube 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. The statements and opinions expressed by guests are their own and are not necessarily endorsed by Insomnia Coach LLC. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.

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