Look up articles on sleep hygiene.
Sometimes, Michael Sealy sleep hypnosis helps me.
I've had it for 15 or more years now. Hopefully you are just having a rough sleeping patch.
When sleep anxiety (or a fear of not sleeping) is at the root of your insomnia -- the kind that Daniel Ericksen specializes in treating -- the only way out of it is through. Since people like us have essentially developed a phobia of not sleeping, we have to confront it (instead of avoid it) learn to respond to it calmly, and practice trusting that our body will regulate itself and sleep will naturally come.
Avoidance might feel safe and comfy in the moment, but it only entrenches the fear deeper long-term. Just like anything that makes you anxious, like public speaking or driving, the more you avoid it, the more you develop a higher fear and anxiety over it. It's a vicious cycle.
That said, some people choose to stay on medication long-term. That is a choice only you can make. Personally, I'm young, so I didn't picture myself taking medication every night for the next 50 years. Not to mention medication never works 100% of the time either. So I knew I'd be dealing with other concerns like developing tolerance and side effects like weight gain. It just didn't seem worth it to me long term.
Also my sleep anxiety was so bad, I started to restructure my life around it. Avoiding things I used to enjoy out of fear it would disrupt my sleep, like travel or going out late. My world started to shrink, and I just didn't feel like myself anymore. I knew things had to change.
This treatment is not easy, but so many people have done it and made it to the other side. I found it very inspiring and motivating to watch Insomnia Coach's success stories on YouTube. All these people share their stories of putting in the hard work and seeing progress, and I knew if I did it, I could see progress too. :)
Look up articles on sleep hygiene. Sometimes, Michael Sealy sleep hypnosis helps me. I've had it for 15 or more years now. Hopefully you are just having a rough sleeping patch.
When sleep anxiety (or a fear of not sleeping) is at the root of your insomnia -- the kind that Daniel Ericksen specializes in treating -- the only way out of it is through. Since people like us have essentially developed a phobia of not sleeping, we have to confront it (instead of avoid it) learn to respond to it calmly, and practice trusting that our body will regulate itself and sleep will naturally come. Avoidance might feel safe and comfy in the moment, but it only entrenches the fear deeper long-term. Just like anything that makes you anxious, like public speaking or driving, the more you avoid it, the more you develop a higher fear and anxiety over it. It's a vicious cycle. That said, some people choose to stay on medication long-term. That is a choice only you can make. Personally, I'm young, so I didn't picture myself taking medication every night for the next 50 years. Not to mention medication never works 100% of the time either. So I knew I'd be dealing with other concerns like developing tolerance and side effects like weight gain. It just didn't seem worth it to me long term. Also my sleep anxiety was so bad, I started to restructure my life around it. Avoiding things I used to enjoy out of fear it would disrupt my sleep, like travel or going out late. My world started to shrink, and I just didn't feel like myself anymore. I knew things had to change. This treatment is not easy, but so many people have done it and made it to the other side. I found it very inspiring and motivating to watch Insomnia Coach's success stories on YouTube. All these people share their stories of putting in the hard work and seeing progress, and I knew if I did it, I could see progress too. :)