All content found on the Insomnia Coach TH-cam 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.
This is by far the best method about healing from insomnia. I used to suffer from it since 2016. Thank god I watched some of your videos at the end of 2020. It was a game changer. Thank you very much!
Did you find the number of hours you spent asleep eventually increase again? In other words, as the quality of your sleep improved, did you experience a separate improvement in quantity as well?
Martin, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart, I believe that you truly want to help people, because although I can't afford to buy your program, you have so much content and steps that I can utilize. And it has truly helped me. ( I am also extremely appreciative of the fact that you are up front with your fees instead doing a song and dance about why I should purchase it). Many thanks to you!
I appreciate your kind words - thank you, Laura! Have you given my free insomnia sleep training course a try? Here's a link in case not: insomniacoach.com/sleep-training/
I appreciate your kind words, Chris - thank you! I feel that my approach these days is more aligned with ACT (acceptance and commitment therapy) techniques but there's definitely still a sprinkle of CBT-I related stuff in there, too!
Martin, you literally are angel sent from heaven ! I have always been a very light sleeper, but I slowly develop an insomnia in past 2years, I have tried everything such sleep medicine, antihistamine,sleep aid supplements, melatonin, sleep tea, traditional Chinese herbal medicine, sleep hygiene,exercise, meditation ….. but nothing really helps to change my insomnia until I get the CBT-I treatment through UCLA sleep study one on one coaching for 9 weeks, it was great, I learned a lot from it and have improved my sleep without medication but still on my melatonin and sleep supplements, because the lack of continuous support and coaching,my sleep still not consistent until I found your podcast and I none stop watching all your videos which that really made me fully understand how it works, I began to follow your advice and explanations and do it all over again, now, i stop taking meds & all supplements,just following your advice such sleep restriction and time window also continue listen & watching your podcasts, it’s been a game changer for me, it’s been 10 days since i followed your podcast, the results are amazing, I begin to feel hopeful….. thank you soooo much for all your various video interviews , you saved my life !
What a journey you have been on, Michelle! Thank you so much for sharing your experience - it sounds as though you are doing great and that's entirely down to you for taking (and committing to) a new approach. A new way forward. Good on you!
Martin, I love what you do and love how kindly you've been responding to other people's comments here! Your perspective on my situation would be very much appreciated. I'm 24 years old and unfortunately have always had major troubles with sleep. Didn't sleep well as a baby, a kid, a teen, a college student, etc. But lately it's been completely affecting my ability to function. It wouldn't surprise you to hear that I've been spending up to 16 hours in bed each day and getting only 4 to 5 hours of sleep lately. So I started bed restriction. And now I tear up when I hear you end each video with "Remember: you CAN sleep." But doubt creeps in because I feel like my case is an exception. And with doubt comes panic. I've been bed restricting four days so far, and my sleep efficiency is 26.3% according to the CBT-i app. I got 0 hours my fist night, 3 the second, 0.5 the third, and 0.5 the fourth (last night). Is there really not a point at which this becomes dangerous? Have you worked with someone whose numbers were as bad as mine? 😭😭
@@fillintheblanks2735 That sounds difficult - and, at the same time, not unique or unusual. I usually suggest sticking to a sleep window for a week or two before drawing any conclusions from it. If your sleep window is longer than the 4 or 5 hours you were generating when you spent 16 hours in bed each night, then you are still giving your body the opportunity to generate more sleep. What might make things more difficult is actively trying to sleep or actively trying to get rid of wakefulness when it shows up during that time. I hope there's something helpful here.
There's always someone out there in a better place than us, and there's always someone out there in a more difficult place than us, right? What are you unable to do when you get less than four hours of sleep, that you are able to do when you get four hours of sleep?
I slept less than 5 hours of broken sleep last night… 😔 that’s been the norm for me for almost 10 years. The pervasive mental fog, exhaustion, and sense of helplessness can turn even life’s most beautiful moments into existential anguish if not approached with utmost mental fortitude. And yet, seemingly paradoxically, the solution is to struggle less. Insomnia is one hell of a thing to deal with. Amor Fati.
Hi. Martin, I am in the progress of CBTI as my insomnia is kicking again. I have it on/off for last 8 years. In many of your podcasts there is lot of talk regarding naps. What do you mean by that, 20- 30 min sleep, or maybe 45 min? Is lying and resting advise when really tired? Would it weaken sleep drive? Your answers are so precious. Thank you
W H A T ??? 3 to 4 months???? This is great. I thought it would take 2 years. But that is because you suffered from it so long before.... Mister Reed. I found your videos today. And if I understood it right, you yourself, suffered from insomnia, too? Right? To be honest. This can be felt in the way you ask questions and the way you talk about it... God bless you!!!
Dear Leah, did you have many setbacks after you went better for a time? I can not believe what you are telling us... And was your anxiety very very big? Mine is through the roof. I suffer since 8th of March this year. And I was suicadal. Though I am such a strong person. Sending you love and thank you so so much... ❤
I checked time every night i awake so as to know how long i slept last night. She is lucky to recovered from insomnia after following your videos. I could sleep 4 to 4.5 hours with lots of interput in between. I never feel sleepy at all but i forced myelf to go to bed at 9:30 or10pm and awake at 4 or4:30am and lye on bed till 6am, no sleep beyond 4:30, I will try to sleep at 11:30pm and lets see any changes in my sleep
Can you give many examples of people starting in a really rough place and making progress? I can give an example of what I mean. When I hear people talking of 3, 4 and 5 hour nights, it's bad, but this seems like something to build with. I've been a bit nervous to start CBT-i because previous spells have been runs of days such as three nights on 0 hours, or 0, 1 and 1-2 hours before I quit and hit the meds, usually the 4th/5th night I throw in the towel.
Hi john have you tried the CBT-I again? How are you doing? I am scared of CBT-I but trying to explore what to do. Have been more than a month of sleep deprivation and sleep meds.
For several days I have had a relapse of insomnia. About two years ago, I used CBTI for a few months and my sleep improved. Then it got worse again, but I started to accept the emotions and feelings in bed and my approach to sleep changed. I could lie down and relax, and sleep came. Even shift work did not interfere with this. I could go home after a night and sleep easily. For a few days now, for no apparent reason, I feel bad in bed, I start to fight for sleep and I have very strong, unpleasant thoughts. What if I don't fall asleep at all, how will I manage at work. I try to lie down and relax sometimes, despite these unpleasant thoughts, but they are so strong that I can't. Today I tried to get out of bed, but lying on the couch and watching documentaries about space did not help. Both on the couch and in bed I felt bad. At 4 o'clock I called work that I was sick. I feel knocked out by an opponent I thought I beat. How is it possible that in a few days my approach to sleep deteriorated?
It can be so easy to fall back into old, unworkable ways of responding - and that's probably because they feel more familiar and when we are scared or uncertain, we crave familiarity. What might you be able to do to help you return to the ways of responding that you found more helpful in the past, do you think? If your current approach isn't proving to be helpful, perhaps a different approach might be worth exploring?
Hi i want to ask, i been experience anxiety and depression and turn into insomnia because anxious thought at night, im fully understand what it caused me to anxiety, depression and anxious im not feel that anymore and my sleep got better (i can sleep because im relax) but why still so hard to fall asleep? like i could tired and want to go sleep but after i close my eyes and going sleep is like i need 1-2 hours to really feel sleep, sorry for my bad english hope you understand what i saying
Hello, one of the best things to do is set a sleep window closer to the amount of time you're actually asleep each night. So for example if you sleep 5 or 6 hours a night on average, then only give yourself a 6 hour sleep window. This means you'll be awake for longer each day which will make you more tired and more likely to fall asleep quicker. Also don't struggle with sleep, if you can't sleep, get up until you feel sleepy again
Perhaps it feels hard to fall asleep because you might be trying hard to make sleep happen? Sleep is something that doesn't respond well to effort. The more we try to make it happen, the more difficult it can become.
i think i seeing my patterns to my sleep problems, i still want to ask since im struggling with my sleep still, theres a day that im so tired and when i trying to sleep feels like im just dreaming or im floating in my thought if that make sense, after i waking up i dont feel like im sleeping (i know because it happens for too long after i have problem with my mental health)
@@InsomniaCoach i can sleep better if i do cbt insomnia, but my sleep can so disturb easily after im doing sex, let say im sleeping better like normally 1 week and i do the dirty (lol) and somehow my sleep going bad again and i need to catch up with no sleep until night time which is im normally sleep at 12:00 am so i can get 5-6 hours sleep, is it because my subconscious mind thinking about sleep or no, what should i do? thanks
Sir i am from india.. i have insomnia since 6 month.. up to 5 month i used to take clonazepam 0.25 mg.. last month I realised that insomnia for me is due to fear or anxiety towards sleep.. I stopped medicine.. even though i am not feeling anxiety, i woke up middle of sleep everyday…i am not feeling drowsiness after woke up in middle of sleep .. does there is adrenalin rush subconsciously.. if it is there how i can overcome it?
Waking is a normal part of sleep - falling back to sleep can become more difficult the more we try to make sleep happen, the more we try to get rid of the wakefulness, the more we try to fight or avoid any thoughts and feelings that might show up at that time.
That sounds really difficult. In the nine days since you posted, some kind of sleep has happened, right? And, perhaps that goes to show that your body can still sleep. That it hasn't lost the ability to generate sleep. That when you've been awake for long enough, it will make sleep happen. Sometimes it's all our efforts to make sleep happen that can make it more difficult.
@@RickMartinTH-cam Quite often, if insomnia is ongoing and feels very mysterious it's not caused by any of the things you mentioned, but by all our efforts to protect or generate sleep!
Hey, this video really spoke to me and I reached out to you on Instagram with a question about if you think it'd be helpful for me to work with you because of my specific case of insomnia following concussion :)
B R U T A L L Y GREAT VIDEO ! ! ! ! THE BEST I' VE EVER LISTENED TO ! ! ! Thank you, Leah!!!! Thank you for being so detailed. So deep... so open. And thank you Mr. Reed for asking the right questions. This is the first video, to be honest, which gives me hope. 🫂 thank you so much Nina Situm from Germany
All content found on the Insomnia Coach TH-cam 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.
This is by far the best method about healing from insomnia. I used to suffer from it since 2016. Thank god I watched some of your videos at the end of 2020. It was a game changer. Thank you very much!
Did you find the number of hours you spent asleep eventually increase again? In other words, as the quality of your sleep improved, did you experience a separate improvement in quantity as well?
Thanks for sharing, Luiz - glad to hear you are doing better!
Martin, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart, I believe that you truly want to help people, because although I can't afford to buy your program, you have so much content and steps that I can utilize. And it has truly helped me. ( I am also extremely appreciative of the fact that you are up front with your fees instead doing a song and dance about why I should purchase it). Many thanks to you!
I appreciate your kind words - thank you, Laura! Have you given my free insomnia sleep training course a try? Here's a link in case not: insomniacoach.com/sleep-training/
Martin is the real deal and his CBTi techniques really do work for insomnia.
I appreciate your kind words, Chris - thank you! I feel that my approach these days is more aligned with ACT (acceptance and commitment therapy) techniques but there's definitely still a sprinkle of CBT-I related stuff in there, too!
Martin, you literally are angel sent from heaven ! I have always been a very light sleeper, but I slowly develop an insomnia in past 2years, I have tried everything such sleep medicine, antihistamine,sleep aid supplements, melatonin, sleep tea, traditional Chinese herbal medicine, sleep hygiene,exercise, meditation ….. but nothing really helps to change my insomnia until I get the CBT-I treatment through UCLA sleep study one on one coaching for 9 weeks, it was great, I learned a lot from it and have improved my sleep without medication but still on my melatonin and sleep supplements, because the lack of continuous support and coaching,my sleep still not consistent until I found your podcast and I none stop watching all your videos which that really made me fully understand how it works, I began to follow your advice and explanations and do it all over again, now, i stop taking meds & all supplements,just following your advice such sleep restriction and time window also continue listen & watching your podcasts, it’s been a game changer for me, it’s been 10 days since i followed your podcast, the results are amazing, I begin to feel hopeful….. thank you soooo much for all your various video interviews , you saved my life !
What a journey you have been on, Michelle! Thank you so much for sharing your experience - it sounds as though you are doing great and that's entirely down to you for taking (and committing to) a new approach. A new way forward. Good on you!
Martin, I love what you do and love how kindly you've been responding to other people's comments here!
Your perspective on my situation would be very much appreciated. I'm 24 years old and unfortunately have always had major troubles with sleep. Didn't sleep well as a baby, a kid, a teen, a college student, etc.
But lately it's been completely affecting my ability to function. It wouldn't surprise you to hear that I've been spending up to 16 hours in bed each day and getting only 4 to 5 hours of sleep lately.
So I started bed restriction. And now I tear up when I hear you end each video with "Remember: you CAN sleep."
But doubt creeps in because I feel like my case is an exception. And with doubt comes panic.
I've been bed restricting four days so far, and my sleep efficiency is 26.3% according to the CBT-i app. I got 0 hours my fist night, 3 the second, 0.5 the third, and 0.5 the fourth (last night).
Is there really not a point at which this becomes dangerous? Have you worked with someone whose numbers were as bad as mine? 😭😭
Oh-and I haven't taken any daytime naps at all. I've never been a napper, though I am tempted to try it now. I resist though.
@@fillintheblanks2735 That sounds difficult - and, at the same time, not unique or unusual. I usually suggest sticking to a sleep window for a week or two before drawing any conclusions from it.
If your sleep window is longer than the 4 or 5 hours you were generating when you spent 16 hours in bed each night, then you are still giving your body the opportunity to generate more sleep. What might make things more difficult is actively trying to sleep or actively trying to get rid of wakefulness when it shows up during that time.
I hope there's something helpful here.
Oh my gosh 4 hours of sleep would be heavenly!
There's always someone out there in a better place than us, and there's always someone out there in a more difficult place than us, right? What are you unable to do when you get less than four hours of sleep, that you are able to do when you get four hours of sleep?
I slept less than 5 hours of broken sleep last night… 😔 that’s been the norm for me for almost 10 years. The pervasive mental fog, exhaustion, and sense of helplessness can turn even life’s most beautiful moments into existential anguish if not approached with utmost mental fortitude. And yet, seemingly paradoxically, the solution is to struggle less. Insomnia is one hell of a thing to deal with. Amor Fati.
It's really difficult, no doubt about it. And sometimes our ongoing struggle with it can make it even more difficult.
What is really remarkable, is that no one in these videos looks like an insomniac. No one has dark eye circles... 😮
Hi. Martin, I am in the progress of CBTI as my insomnia is kicking again. I have it on/off for last 8 years. In many of your podcasts there is lot of talk regarding naps. What do you mean by that, 20- 30 min sleep, or maybe 45 min? Is lying and resting advise when really tired? Would it weaken sleep drive?
Your answers are so precious. Thank you
W H A T ???
3 to 4 months????
This is great. I thought it would take 2 years.
But that is because you suffered from it so long before....
Mister Reed.
I found your videos today. And if I understood it right, you yourself, suffered from insomnia, too? Right?
To be honest. This can be felt in the way you ask questions and the way you talk about it...
God bless you!!!
Dear Leah,
did you have many setbacks after you went better for a time?
I can not believe what you are telling us...
And was your anxiety very very big? Mine is through the roof. I suffer since 8th of March this year. And I was suicadal. Though I am such a strong person. Sending you love and thank you so so much... ❤
I checked time every night i awake so as to know how long i slept last night. She is lucky to recovered from insomnia after following your videos. I could sleep 4 to 4.5 hours with lots of interput in between. I never feel sleepy at all but i forced myelf to go to bed at 9:30 or10pm and awake at 4 or4:30am and lye on bed till 6am, no sleep beyond 4:30, I will try to sleep at 11:30pm and lets see any changes in my sleep
Can you give many examples of people starting in a really rough place and making progress? I can give an example of what I mean. When I hear people talking of 3, 4 and 5 hour nights, it's bad, but this seems like something to build with. I've been a bit nervous to start CBT-i because previous spells have been runs of days such as three nights on 0 hours, or 0, 1 and 1-2 hours before I quit and hit the meds, usually the 4th/5th night I throw in the towel.
Perhaps Maria's story is more aligned with what you are looking for? th-cam.com/video/BxHm7lGvD4o/w-d-xo.html
Hi john have you tried the CBT-I again? How are you doing? I am scared of CBT-I but trying to explore what to do. Have been more than a month of sleep deprivation and sleep meds.
For several days I have had a relapse of insomnia. About two years ago, I used CBTI for a few months and my sleep improved. Then it got worse again, but I started to accept the emotions and feelings in bed and my approach to sleep changed. I could lie down and relax, and sleep came. Even shift work did not interfere with this. I could go home after a night and sleep easily. For a few days now, for no apparent reason, I feel bad in bed, I start to fight for sleep and I have very strong, unpleasant thoughts. What if I don't fall asleep at all, how will I manage at work. I try to lie down and relax sometimes, despite these unpleasant thoughts, but they are so strong that I can't. Today I tried to get out of bed, but lying on the couch and watching documentaries about space did not help. Both on the couch and in bed I felt bad. At 4 o'clock I called work that I was sick. I feel knocked out by an opponent I thought I beat. How is it possible that in a few days my approach to sleep deteriorated?
It can be so easy to fall back into old, unworkable ways of responding - and that's probably because they feel more familiar and when we are scared or uncertain, we crave familiarity. What might you be able to do to help you return to the ways of responding that you found more helpful in the past, do you think? If your current approach isn't proving to be helpful, perhaps a different approach might be worth exploring?
My problem is laying there in bed thinking about sleeping and all day.
Hi i want to ask, i been experience anxiety and depression and turn into insomnia because anxious thought at night, im fully understand what it caused me to anxiety, depression and anxious im not feel that anymore and my sleep got better (i can sleep because im relax) but why still so hard to fall asleep? like i could tired and want to go sleep but after i close my eyes and going sleep is like i need 1-2 hours to really feel sleep, sorry for my bad english hope you understand what i saying
Hello, one of the best things to do is set a sleep window closer to the amount of time you're actually asleep each night. So for example if you sleep 5 or 6 hours a night on average, then only give yourself a 6 hour sleep window. This means you'll be awake for longer each day which will make you more tired and more likely to fall asleep quicker. Also don't struggle with sleep, if you can't sleep, get up until you feel sleepy again
Perhaps it feels hard to fall asleep because you might be trying hard to make sleep happen? Sleep is something that doesn't respond well to effort. The more we try to make it happen, the more difficult it can become.
@@tombellamy4857 Thanks for sharing those approaches, which can be very helpful!
i think i seeing my patterns to my sleep problems, i still want to ask since im struggling with my sleep still, theres a day that im so tired and when i trying to sleep feels like im just dreaming or im floating in my thought if that make sense, after i waking up i dont feel like im sleeping (i know because it happens for too long after i have problem with my mental health)
@@InsomniaCoach i can sleep better if i do cbt insomnia, but my sleep can so disturb easily after im doing sex, let say im sleeping better like normally 1 week and i do the dirty (lol) and somehow my sleep going bad again and i need to catch up with no sleep until night time which is im normally sleep at 12:00 am so i can get 5-6 hours sleep, is it because my subconscious mind thinking about sleep or no, what should i do? thanks
Sir i am from india.. i have insomnia since 6 month.. up to 5 month i used to take clonazepam 0.25 mg.. last month I realised that insomnia for me is due to fear or anxiety towards sleep.. I stopped medicine.. even though i am not feeling anxiety, i woke up middle of sleep everyday…i am not feeling drowsiness after woke up in middle of sleep .. does there is adrenalin rush subconsciously.. if it is there how i can overcome it?
Waking is a normal part of sleep - falling back to sleep can become more difficult the more we try to make sleep happen, the more we try to get rid of the wakefulness, the more we try to fight or avoid any thoughts and feelings that might show up at that time.
Bro pls help i feel like im about to die if i dont get 7-8 hours of sleep havent slept for 2 days now
That sounds really difficult. In the nine days since you posted, some kind of sleep has happened, right? And, perhaps that goes to show that your body can still sleep. That it hasn't lost the ability to generate sleep. That when you've been awake for long enough, it will make sleep happen. Sometimes it's all our efforts to make sleep happen that can make it more difficult.
@@RickMartinTH-cam Quite often, if insomnia is ongoing and feels very mysterious it's not caused by any of the things you mentioned, but by all our efforts to protect or generate sleep!
Hey, this video really spoke to me and I reached out to you on Instagram with a question about if you think it'd be helpful for me to work with you because of my specific case of insomnia following concussion :)
B R U T A L L Y
GREAT VIDEO ! ! ! !
THE BEST I' VE EVER LISTENED TO ! ! !
Thank you, Leah!!!!
Thank you for being so detailed. So deep... so open.
And thank you Mr. Reed for asking the right questions.
This is the first video, to be honest, which gives me hope.
🫂 thank you so much
Nina Situm from Germany