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Insomnia Coach® Podcast

Health & Wellness Podcasts

Welcome to the Insomnia Coach Podcast. My name is Martin Reed. I believe that by changing how we respond to insomnia and all the difficult thoughts and feelings that come with it, we can move away from struggling with insomnia and toward living the life we want to live. In this podcast, I share insomnia success stories featuring people who ended their struggle with insomnia. New episodes are released monthly.

Location:

United States

Description:

Welcome to the Insomnia Coach Podcast. My name is Martin Reed. I believe that by changing how we respond to insomnia and all the difficult thoughts and feelings that come with it, we can move away from struggling with insomnia and toward living the life we want to live. In this podcast, I share insomnia success stories featuring people who ended their struggle with insomnia. New episodes are released monthly.

Language:

English

Contact:

1 (541) 248-1710


Episodes

How Kreuza dealt with insomnia and somniphobia by practicing more acceptance and less resistance (#56)

2/29/2024
Kreuza found cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) helpful. However, when sleep problems returned as somniphobia — a fear of sleep itself — the same techniques no longer seemed to work. Kreuza found that creating rules around sleep and trying to change her thoughts and feelings wasn't proving to be helpful. So, she tried a new approach: she let herself think thoughts and feel feelings — even the really difficult ones. She practiced being kind and compassionate to herself. She also did things that mattered to her, even if she didn't sleep well. Today, sleep doesn't impact Kreuza's life, her plans, or her goals. Her story shows us that being patient and kind to ourselves can help us face big fears and that addressing sleep problems in a workable and sustainable way often takes time and ongoing practice. Watch/listen to this episode

Duration:01:07:06

How Rachel got out of the insomnia struggle by being more flexible, more accepting, and more present (#55)

1/30/2024
Rachel's battle with insomnia began in grad school. Sleep aids and strict routines failed to improve her sleep. Real change came when she moved away from trying to create the perfect conditions for sleep and stopped trying to get rid of certain thoughts and feelings. Rachel's new approach involved being more flexible. She abandoned sleep-related rules and rituals. She practiced building skill in self-kindness and being more present. She opened up and made space for difficult thoughts and feelings to exist. This new approach not only improved her sleep, it also improved her overall quality of life. Listen to this episode

Duration:00:53:58

How Jessica broke free from insomnia by letting go and accepting it without judgement (#54)

11/29/2023
Jessica's struggle with insomnia began on a family trip, and it worsened each time she traveled until it stuck around, even at home. No matter what she tried, her nights were filled with anxiety and struggle. Jessica found that her resistance to insomnia and the difficult thoughts and feelings that often come with it were making things even more difficult. So, she changed her approach. She practiced accepting insomnia and anxiety. She learned to be kinder to herself. With ongoing practice, Jessica freed herself from an ongoing struggle and reclaimed her life from insomnia. Watch/listen to this episode

Duration:01:02:16

How Eric got his life back from insomnia by focusing on what he can control (#53)

10/31/2023
Eric's battle with insomnia started after a middle-of-the-night panic attack turned sleep into a nightly struggle. In a desperate search for solutions, he made changes that didn't improve his sleep and only ended up pulling him further away from the life he wanted to live. Eric started to isolate himself and considered difficult nights to be a personal failure. The turning point came when Eric shifted his focus. Instead of obsessing over sleep and the difficult thoughts and feelings he was experiencing, he began to prioritize meaningful actions and experiences. He embraced anxiety as an essential component of a fulfilling life, rather than a nemesis to be defeated. Today, Eric's life is no longer ruled by insomnia. By refocusing on what he could control — his actions — he disarmed the power of sleepless nights and the difficult thoughts and feelings that often come with them. Eric didn't just reclaim sleep; he reclaimed his life. Watch/listen to this episode

Duration:01:06:19

How Gerry used mindfulness and self-kindness to move away from an endless struggle with insomnia (#52)

9/28/2023
Gerry's decades-long struggle with insomnia felt like a never-ending battle. The more he tried to force sleep, the worse his insomnia became. His turning point came when he shifted his approach, embracing mindfulness and self-kindness instead of engaging in an ongoing battle. By focusing on the present moment and practicing self-compassion, Gerry found a new, more effective way to approach sleep. The result was transformative: not only did his sleep improve, but his overall quality of life also took a turn for the better. This episode dives deep into Gerry's journey and the specific techniques that led to his transformation. Gerry's experience shows that no matter how long you might struggle with insomnia, it's still possible to break free from the insomnia cycle. Watch/listen to this episode

Duration:00:59:30

How Anne-Claire moved away from the insomnia struggle by practicing new habits and being more willing to experience insomnia (#51)

8/31/2023
Anne-Claire experienced sleep issues when she overextended herself running her business. After reducing her workload her sleep didn't get any better. Supplements and medication didn't seem to help. This led her to explore a new approach. Anne-Claire implemented new habits that would help create better conditions for sleep and help starve insomnia of the oxygen it needed to survive. And, instead of trying to fight or avoid difficult the thoughts and feelings that often come with insomnia, she began observing and even welcoming them. As Anne-Claire put less effort into sleep and became more willing to experience insomnia, things improved. Wakefulness and the difficult thoughts and feelings that often come with it started to lose their power and influence and sleep — once again — became effortless. Watch/listen to this episode

Duration:01:07:00

How Jessy separated herself from her thoughts, moved away from medication, and transformed her relationship with sleep (#50)

7/19/2023
Jessy experienced sleep disruption due to the stress of COVID and the breakup of her community. Initially, she found it difficult to fall asleep. Then she started waking during the night and found it hard to get back to sleep. As her sleep got progressively worse, Jessy started to feel scared and worried that she was losing control of her life. She tried medication but it didn't help. She felt desperate and alone. After finding the Insomnia Coach podcast, she found hope in the stories of others. That encouraged her to start taking her life back from insomnia, even while it was still present. She did more of what mattered. She stopped trying to control sleep. She moved away from struggling with her thoughts and feelings (and as she did that she found that her mind could be an unreliable narrator). Today, Jessy considers her sleep to be normal and she feels that her experience with insomnia gave her the opportunity to recognize her own resilience and that gave her the confidence to move forward in life. Watch/listen to this episode

Duration:01:07:37

How Maria faced the fear of insomnia by allowing it to exist and discovered that all its power came from how she responded to it (#49)

6/14/2023
After experiencing anxiety and panic attacks and not sleeping for 72 hours, Maria thought she had lost the ability to sleep. Medication wasn't working. She withdrew from life. She couldn't focus on anything other than sleep. Feeling completely stuck, Maria changed her approach. Instead of trying to fight or avoid insomnia, she allowed it to show up whenever it chose. Instead of trying to fight or avoid the difficult thoughts and feelings that often come with insomnia, she allowed them to come and go as they pleased. Maria also started to do more of the things that mattered to her, even when insomnia was present and even when her mind was telling her she couldn't leave the house. All these actions stripped insomnia of its power and influence and allowed Maria to redirect her energy and attention away from an ongoing struggle and toward living the life she wanted to live. Watch/listen to this episode

Duration:01:03:27

How Leah freed herself from the insomnia struggle by abandoning her efforts to control sleep (#48)

5/19/2023
Leah experienced insomnia from her teenage years. As an adult it would often come and go, until it came and didn't go! This made it difficult for Leah to live the life she wanted to live. To do the things that mattered to her. Sleeping pills didn't help, and she felt stuck. So, Leah decided to change her approach. She realized that canceling plans after sleepless nights didn't make things any better and so she committed to following through on her plans, regardless of how she felt. Instead of putting effort into sleep, she gave her body the opportunity to take care of sleep all by itself. She also practiced observing her thoughts instead of trying to control them. By doing things that mattered to her, Leah freed herself from the insomnia struggle. Now, sleep feels more natural and she is living the life she wants to live, independently of sleep. Watch/listen to this episode

Duration:01:06:04

How Amanda reclaimed her life from insomnia and abandoned all the rules and rituals that were making things more difficult (#47)

4/21/2023
Amanda's insomnia was triggered by a number of stressors — having a baby, relocating, getting a new job, and dealing with a toxic parent. She tried several sleep aids and implemented a number of sleep rules and rituals but found no real relief until she explored a different approach. She started to acknowledge and accept her thoughts and feelings instead of trying to control them. She started to get more comfortable with nighttime wakefulness. And, she started to focus on the good things in her life and doing things that mattered to her. As a result, she was able to move away from chasing after sleep and successfully reclaimed her life from insomnia. Watch/listen to this episode

Duration:01:13:10

How Eddie got through the ups and downs of insomnia by implementing a plan that stopped it from controlling his life (#46)

3/14/2023
For more than a decade, Eddie struggled with sleep. He had good nights and bad nights, and just when he thought his sleep was back on track, it would slip away again. The harder it became to sleep, the more he struggled, and the less he did the things he loved. Eddie's transformation started when he stopped trying to force sleep and began developing healthy sleep habits. He also took the time to figure out what insomnia was preventing him from doing and what it was taking away from him. Despite restless nights, he made a commitment to do what mattered most to him. Now, Eddie sees his battle with insomnia as a source of strength. He's not happy about his experience, but he's not sad either. Instead, he's grateful for what he's learned and the resilience he's gained. Watch/listen to this episode

Duration:01:05:27

How Jeannette got back on track after an insomnia relapse and how ongoing practice helped her move away from ongoing struggle (#45)

2/15/2023
Jeannette's sleep improved after working with me but one night she couldn't fall back to sleep and her old fears returned. She felt like something was wrong with her as this continued, night after night. This led Jeannette back into her old safety behaviors, even though she knew they weren't helpful. In this episode, Jeannette shares how she moved away from struggling with insomnia. She became more comfortable with nighttime wakefulness, stopped chasing after sleep, allowed her mind to generate whatever thoughts it wanted (even difficult ones), and started being kinder to herself. Watch/listen to this episode

Duration:01:05:07

How Eric changed the way he responded to insomnia, stopped battling with his mind, and improved his sleep for the long term (#44)

1/12/2023
Eric, like many people with chronic insomnia, discovered that trying to fall asleep only made it harder. Although he had no trouble falling asleep, he woke up frequently at night and struggled to drift off again due to racing thoughts and anxiety. Eric was fixated on sleeping and despite trying everything, he couldn't seem to relax or improve. After we started working together, Eric reduced his allotted sleep time to match his actual sleep duration and learned to manage nighttime wakefulness better. He also committed to living the life he wanted independently of sleep. By changing how he responded to his insomnia and the associated difficulties, Eric's sleep improved dramatically. He no longer relies on sleeping pills and, more than a year and a half later, he no longer battles his mind daily and sleeps well. Watch/listen to this episode

Duration:00:51:29

How Vicky changed her approach to insomnia when sleeping pills stopped working after 20 years (#43)

10/5/2022
Vicky used to manage her insomnia by taking sleeping pills for 20 years, until one night when they stopped working. This left her feeling alone and anxious, and she started to experience panic attacks when waking up in the middle of the night. To tackle this, Vicky adopted a new approach to insomnia that involved letting go of the struggle. She realized that unpleasant thoughts and feelings didn't need to prevent her from doing what mattered to her. She committed to engaging in meaningful activities, even after difficult nights and despite uncomfortable thoughts and feelings. Nowadays, Vicky still has some difficult nights occasionally, but she is no longer battling her mind all day and night. She is living the life she wants, even when faced with discomfort. In fact, Vicky considers her insomnia a gift, as it has helped her develop resilience and react more effectively to the difficulties we all face as human beings. Watch/listen to this episode

How Jim stopped chasing after sleep and put over 10 years of insomnia behind him (#42)

9/8/2022
Jim dealt with insomnia for a decade, initially thinking it was due to heavy drinking, poor diet, late work hours, and high stress. However, his insomnia persisted even after resolving these issues, leading to years of sleep disruption, fear, frustration, and anxiety. In this episode, Jim discusses the changes he made to overcome his insomnia. Ultimately, he stopped struggling against and avoiding nighttime wakefulness, as well as the difficult thoughts and feelings that often accompany it. Today, Jim can enjoy restful sleep, even after stressful days, because he is no longer in a competition with sleep. Watch/listen to this episode

How Nick stopped his mind (and sleep) from controlling his life by letting go of the struggle with his mind (and sleep) (#41)

7/29/2022
Nick started experiencing insomnia in 2000 when he relocated and began a new job. His life was consumed with stress, anxiety, and uncertainty, and he found that trying to avoid or fight his thoughts only made them stronger. Nick felt helpless and didn't know how to improve his sleep or manage his difficult thoughts and emotions. In this episode, Nick talks about how he adopted a new approach to dealing with all this difficult stuff. Rather than trying to control his thoughts and feelings, he learned to acknowledge and accept them. Instead of getting distracted by them, he redirected his attention towards actions that would help him move towards the life he wanted to live. Nick started focusing on living a life that was aligned with his values, doing things that were important to him even on difficult nights when he experienced uncomfortable thoughts and emotions. He learned to bring his mind back to the present and notice and appreciate the things he was missing out on when he was lost in thought. Today, Nick has a more workable relationship with sleep and the full range of thoughts and feelings that come with it. He no longer sees sleep as the sole focus of his life and is not haunted by it anymore. Watch/listen to this episode

How Adam released himself from the prison cell he had built to protect him from insomnia (#40)

6/30/2022
Adam's struggle with insomnia began the night before an important work presentation. A difficult night led to him calling in sick and planted a seed in his mind that difficult nights would interfere with important plans. To feel better in the short-term, Adam used safety behaviors like canceling plans or avoiding activities to protect his sleep. However, these behaviors prevented him from living the life he wanted in the long-term, turning his comfort zone into a prison. In this episode, Adam shares how he learned to let go of his anxiety, fear, and intense desire to avoid nighttime wakefulness. He also talks about the benefits of self-kindness and how he separated his ability to sleep at night from his ability to engage in activities that aligned with his values and aspirations. Today, Adam is free from his self-imposed prison and is living the life he wants, sleeping much better in the process. Watch/listen to this episode

Duration:01:03:35

How Juergen improved his sleep by becoming more willing to experience wakefulness and difficult thoughts, feelings, and emotions (#39)

5/27/2022
As Juergen grew older, his sleep patterns started to change, which is a normal part of aging. However, at the time he didn't realize this. As he began to pay more attention to his sleep, the COVID pandemic hit, increasing his work stress, and shutting down all the places he enjoyed going to. Juergen started to feel as if insomnia and the difficult emotions that came with it were controlling his life, causing him to lose sight of the life he wanted to live. Over time, Juergen became more open to experiencing wakefulness at night and learned to accept the difficult thoughts and feelings that came with it. He found that by not fighting against the things he couldn't control, he was able to redirect his energy towards activities that aligned with his values and goals. The skills he learned also proved useful when tinnitus returned after a long absence. As a result, the things outside of Juergen's control now have less influence over his life, and he is sleeping much better. Watch/listen to this episode

Duration:01:00:17

How Kristina dealt with anxiety, worry, and stress as her insomnia shifted from difficulty staying asleep to difficulty falling asleep (#38)

4/28/2022
Kristina had a demanding job that caused a lot of stress. One night, her husband woke her up after having a nightmare, triggering a release of anxiety that had been building up for some time. This made it difficult for her to fall back to sleep, which only caused more worry and anxiety in the following nights. At first, Kristina could fall asleep but would wake up with a racing mind in the middle of the night and struggle to fall back to sleep. But then, she began having trouble falling asleep altogether, which caused more anxiety and sleep disruption. Kristina discovered that the most effective way to combat her insomnia was to deprive it of the things it needed to survive. Rather than going to bed early or staying in bed late, Kristina adjusted her bedtime to when she felt genuinely sleepy, rather than just tired. She also made sure to get out of bed at the same time every morning, regardless of how much sleep she had gotten. If she felt uncomfortable being awake at night, she would engage in an enjoyable activity instead. Most importantly, Kristina learned to focus on the present moment and what was under her control. She continued to work towards the life she wanted to live, independent of her sleep and even when experiencing difficult thoughts and emotions. Watch/listen to this episode

Duration:01:05:52

How Deeandra reclaimed her life from insomnia and got her sleep back on track without medication (#37)

3/29/2022
Deeandra used to sleep well until a stressful time in her life caused her to go without sleep for 48 hours, causing anxiety. She worried that she had lost the ability to sleep and tried different medications, but they didn't work well and had side effects. For three years, Deeandra tried different rituals and experiments to sleep better, putting her life on hold. Gradually, Deeandra learned to let go of control and not avoid wakefulness at night. She only went to bed when she was actually sleepy, and started living her life regardless of how she slept at night. She resumed activities she had withdrawn from and even started exercising again. Over time, she reclaimed her life from insomnia, and her sleep improved. Now, Deeandra sleeps for an average of six to seven hours a night, and even though she still has difficult nights, they no longer control her life. In her own words, "life is about the time we spend awake, not the time that we sleep". Listen to this episode

Duration:01:05:56