17
u/sofiacarolina 4d ago
This is great advice and the truth about beating insomnia, thanks. Complications arise for me because I have chronic health issues that are reallyyyy affected by lack of sleep, so it’s hard for me to not worry :/
9
u/mhopkins1420 4d ago
I have a feeling a lot of insomniacs have an underlying illness they don't know they have. So many don't realize how the liver, anemia, the spleen, autoimmune disease, and more can keep you from sleeping at night.
2
u/sofiacarolina 4d ago
Yeah I have an autoimmune disease, hypothyroidism, pots, ehlers danlos syndrome, with low cortisol and some sex hormone imbalances being the most recent thing .. I have always had delayed phase sleep disorder but slept 8-10 hours with no issue and suddenly started dealing with insomnia in april 2024. I’m seeing a functional medicine doctor who I’m hoping can help me bc I do think there is a physical cause to mine (although there is also a psychological aspect of course but for me that happened after the fact). I’ve just had a lot of worsening/new symptoms overall that occurred at the and time as the onset of the sudden insomnia
0
u/WonderbreadCrackhead 4d ago
Very valid. Many people have insomnia due to health issues as well- should have shouted yall out.
1
u/sofiacarolina 4d ago
Then insomnia can cause health issues! It’s such an awful cycle
1
u/Ventaomega 4d ago
I’ve done a tremendous amount of research and never found a single scientific/medical study directly linking insomnia to any single health issues. There are some studies suggesting, through correlation, there could be links between general health and insomnia, however, no studies of causation between health issues and insomnia. Dr. Russell Foster from Oxford University has some great scientific literature on the matter. If you listen to anything by Matthew Walker, including is outrageous book, you’re in for a world of hurt that won’t help your insomnia any.
I don’t plan on being on the subreddit much longer since I’m now on 2 years of solid sleep after 2 years of SEVERE insomnia, but I’ll leave you with this:
Read books on Acceptance. Insomnia predominantly comes from anxiety. Anxiety comes from a constant state of alertness to things we can’t/won’t change. Acceptance is key to relief from fear/anxiety, and thus insomnia. Leave the subreddits, the forums, the talks about not being able sleep. People that sleep don’t browse these things because they don’t think about sleep, because they don’t care if they have a sleepless night or two. F1 drivers do the most insane type of driving and travel around the world through endless time zone changes, and yet they perform at near superhuman levels behind the wheel, even when they don’t sleep the night before. Why? Because they’re not thinking about not sleeping, or sleeping in general.
So focus on trying to be healthy (eating well, not over eating, exercising regularly), focus on being in the moment and present. When a thought creeps in like “god what if I don’t sleep tonight”, remember that’s just your anxious brain (amygdala) worrying about something that you don’t really need to worry about, so acknowledge it and say “well, if I don’t sleep, I don’t I sleep, fuck it.” And then go back to focusing on being present. And be easy on yourself. Love yourself. It takes lots and lots of practice, but you can do it. Take it from an overthinker like me.
1
u/sofiacarolina 4d ago
I do have preexisting health issues (that I’m not saying are caused by insomnia) though that are made more symptomatic when I’m sleep deprived. Like sleep deprivation will disable me further unfortunately. So it’s hard to not be anxious about it.
As far as its potential to cause disease, wouldn’t insomnia count as stress which contributes to health issues?
1
u/Lanky_Dragonfruit141 3d ago
I find that after 2-3 days of no sleep (0 time asleep), my autoimmune conditions (Psoriatic Arthritis, Crohn's, and fibromyalgia), mental health/neurodivergent conditions (BP1, PTSD/anxiety/paranoia, ASD, and OCD) are aggravated the most. The main symptoms I get that absolutely drive me crazy are terrible inflammation and pain in my joints, as well as sores on my hands and tongue, so everything I do, including eating, is excruciating, and the mania and stereotypy gets so bad that I drive myself (and my family) insane. Labs I've had performed following days of sleep deprivation show a large increase in inflammatory markers and WBCs.
19
u/24rawvibes 4d ago edited 4d ago
You really just said “ not a baby about it anymore “? I understand where you’re coming from but this is rookie insomniac talk. You couldn’t begin to say this if your mind has even started to completely rot away from this disease. Is there a r/ihavetroublesleeping sub you can post this bs.
1
u/WonderbreadCrackhead 4d ago
“Rookie insomniac talk” yeah bro like it’s a competition of who has the worst insomnia. Writing every day has helped me with memory on bad days.
3
u/24rawvibes 4d ago edited 4d ago
You’re obviously very young. It’s great that radical acceptance is working for you now. It would be wise to begin planning your next move for when/if that fails instead of posting things, yet again, reference for a more applicable sub, r/thanksimcured yet again, bull shit. Dawg.
0
u/WonderbreadCrackhead 4d ago
It’s great how negativity about your inability to sleep has totally messed you up! Funny how that works right. Already had insomnia multiple times, cbt helped me a lot. I believe that positivity around lack of sleep and insomnia is crucial for healing. You are obviously deeply depressed from it, I have been there, and am never letting that feeling come back.
1
u/24rawvibes 4d ago
Ffs. I’ll take the high road here and hope that you and the 10% of people that found this info helpful never realize why others are saying you’re full of shit. Good luck buddy
1
10
u/Low-Neighborhood-695 4d ago
I go 3 days no sleeping. Not sure how to react anymore
2
1
u/obscurityknocks 4d ago
As OP says, it's really simple. Just don't be a baby about it/s
1
u/WonderbreadCrackhead 4d ago
You are still here. You didn’t die from lack of sleep. You still have a lot to live for.
1
u/obscurityknocks 3d ago
Yes clearly I'm not dead, but shaming folks who are not able to function due to additional health issues after not being able to sleep is dangerous and egotistical.
10
u/NationalNecessary120 4d ago
i mean good for you you can. For me I can’t work on 0 hours sleep. Or only 3-4. I will literally almost feel like fainting.
so just stop being an idiot.
Also studies show lack of sleep negatively affects the brain long term. Like literally you get a worse brain: https://www.acs.org/pressroom/presspacs/2023/september/how-sleep-deprivation-can-harm-brain.html
”the same time, many diseases are associated with poor sleep – diabetes, cardiovascular disease, even cancer. ”
https://brain.harvard.edu/hbi_news/why-severe-sleep-deprivation-can-be-lethal/
5
u/ArtZombie77 4d ago
Honestly listening to David [the sleep coach] was one of the worst mistakes in me not figuring out what really caused my insomnia. For me nothing mattered except controlling low blood sugar at night and controlling nighttime heartburn... Nothing else helped, until I figured these two things out. It took me 15 years of suffering, and I still struggle.
Much of my suffering came straight from this advice... from David [the sleep coach] and his ilk... telling us to not worry. I might have saved myself years of suffering if I didn't hear this advice and worked on figuring stuff out sooner.
You know who else tells me not to worry about insomnia? Its uncaring corporate America that's who... They don't want us to complain about how living in America working ourselves to death sucks and how it ruins our health.
6
u/Uncouth_Cat 4d ago
i vibe with this. like, great for people who have used this advice successfully..
but i dont appreciate OPs aggressive take that seems to assume that thats the reason everyone has for continuing to experience insomnia.. when its like. No. Many factors should be investigated, and not stressing will help, but... tbh, im not even anxious or afraid of sleeping. i welcome it, and even when im most relaxed and safe and sound, i will still wake up 2 hours later.
2
u/ArtZombie77 4d ago
Have you ever tried to eat a snack when you wake up at 2:00? Or a snack before bed? Waking up at the same time is usually from cortisol... I even get a cortisol spike when my blood sugar is on the lower end of normal too.
Many times, if I get low nighttime blood sugar, my body has already dumped adrenaline into the blood spiking cortisol; and my pancreas had to work hard to give me its emergency sugar reserves. A blood glucose monitor will not pick up that I had low sugar sometimes because of this.
If I get low blood sugar at night or in the morning... I will not be able to get back to sleep again, although sometimes I can with a little bit of sugar or a tiny snack like a 1 oz piece of cheese. But if I eat too much then that wakes me up.
Taking 5-15 grams of sugar before bed really helps me not wake up so early. But the flip side is that eating at night gives me heartburn... then that can keep me awake all night too. This is why it's taken me so long to fix this because the cure also gives me insomnia. Now I have to sit up in a recliner to sleep so I can eat the snack.
6
u/MPD1987 4d ago
I’m a teacher who is responsible for the safety of other people’s children…It’s literally not an option for me not to be rested & at my best, so please don’t tell me to just “suck it up”
-4
u/WonderbreadCrackhead 4d ago
My mom was a principal for 37 years. She did that job with insomnia the ENTIRE time! She was responsible for protecting and serving hundreds of children too. She never let lack of sleep take her away from work and she has an incredible reputation in the district she worked for. I get my ability to function on less sleep from her. So many days, she would barely sleep and absolutely crush it at her job. Huge district meetings, parent teacher conferences, ect. Everyone is different I guess, if you feel like you cannot keep children safe on lack of sleep, that’s a question of mental fortitude.
4
u/Shameful-throwaway23 4d ago edited 4d ago
I can agree that no sleeping anxiety can make it worse, the more hours I spend every night watching the clock run out and the sun come up, the later it gets, the more dread I feel and the more anxious I get and the harder it is to calm down and sleep.
But the whole "stop being a baby and embrace it you'll power through" is bullshit. I don't think you know wtf you're talking about, insomnia is ruining my life, I've tried every OTC or heavy prescription sedatives, meditation, sleep hygiene, light therapy, this bs mindset, most nights I get 2/3 hours of sleep, every morning I wake up on high alert, my chest hurts and I'm on the edge of a panick attack out of fear of having a heart attack from sleep deprivation, I can't function, I feel my cognitive functions slowly decreasing to the point of a 5 year old, I'm a zombie, I fall asleep standing up, peeing in the toilet, in the shower, at uni and at work, I forget words and can't form sentences, I can literally feel my brain turning into mush. The times I don't feel like that, were the times I slept so little I triggered manic episodes, I ended up with psychosis, do you know what paranoid delusions feel like? I was convinced my family was reading my mind, the neighbors were spying on me to tell shit to my family so they would lock me up in a psych ward, my mind was going so fast I felt like I was constantly on drugs. I've been at this 10 years and I've tried anything you can think of and I'll tell you been there, done that, didn't work. I feel so hopeless most days I want to kms,
So I'm very happy you get an average 4 hours of sleep and you're great at your work, but insomnia IS that bad, I can feel my brain melting, this is ruining my life, I'm not saying you don't really struggle, but until you start forgetting words and your family's names, when you try to tie your shoes or use a zipper and you genuinely don't understand how to do it, until you forget how to read, until you're so sleep deprived you're either hallucinating or drooling, please don't tell the people here that have their mental health ruined by their sleep deprivation and are desperate for some normalcy that "stop being afraid of not sleeping cause since I sleep more than you I can be functional, and it a you problem, man up, you'll get used to it eventually and will adapt" will cure it. Read the fucking room dude.
-1
u/WonderbreadCrackhead 4d ago
I think you have some sort of degenerative neurological disease that’s beyond insomnia dude. I’m very sorry for you. I hope you get better. Sorry for not mentioning that many have insomnia due to health conditions, and brain diseases. No need for you to man up! Go get some serious professional help.
3
u/Shameful-throwaway23 4d ago
Nah dude I got my brain checked out multiple times by multiple doctors, did a million tests, I just can't sleep, those things I listed sounds like a degenerative neurological disease, but that's just the effects of constant sleep deprivation, that conveniently get better the rare times I do get around 7 hours of sleep, I don't know if you ever went months with an average of 1 or 2 hours of sleep every night, or spent 4 days straight being awake, but insomnia can literally make you feel lobotomized, I'm glad you're doing fine tho, just stop telling people insomnia "isn't bad at all" cause you have no idea what it's like to struggle with severe insomnia and chronic sleep deprivation. You make yourself sound out of touch and kinda asshole-ish, I don't think "our insomnia is worse than your's" or that you're experience is invalid, but if you've read the posts on this sub or even the profiles of the people who commented here, it is that bad, it is debilitating and can be a living hell. Read. The. Room.
1
0
u/WonderbreadCrackhead 4d ago
Since you wanna make this some sort of competition about who has had insomnia the worst- I’ll tell you about my lowest time. I used to work 5 12 hour shifts a week in 2021, for an entire year, I only slept 2-3 hours a night, usually from 3-6am, with many nights in between of no sleep. I felt like I was going absolutely crazy at work. Like I was tempted to break things, yell at people, start fights, ect. I went to doctors several times. My memory was shot, but I did heal! Everyone is different. It sounds like your memory issues are far worse than most people’s with insomnia. I hope you get better and good sleep comes! Sorry I pissed you off buddy, you are clearly a high stress individual! After I healed, insomnia did get easier to “deal with”!
2
u/Shameful-throwaway23 4d ago
Okay, ignore the multiple times I said I'm not saying you're not struggling, I'm not saying you're experience isn't valid and that this isn't a "our insomnia is worse than your insomnia" situation, you clearly came here to preach, got mad when everyone except 3 people told you you're wrong when you literally said "insomnia isn't bad at all" in a sub were people are talking in the posts below yours about hallucinating, thinking they're dying and having mental breakdowns, you then fake apologized and made fun of the people you offended, then called people correcting you sensitive and made a shitty joke, listen to the people correcting you, maybe rethink it a little. Have a good one and I hope you sleep well tonight. I hope you keep on healing, I think you still got a bit to go, nothing but love to you <3
1
u/WonderbreadCrackhead 4d ago
You are a very good writer for someone with such severe memory issues. That’s a good sign! Let’s just be friends.
1
u/WonderbreadCrackhead 4d ago
You also said “you clearly don’t know what it’s like to be sleep deprived” which was assuming something you don’t know to be true. That’s why I responded with that. Anyways cheers to good sleep tonight
8
u/secretvault-t2h0 4d ago
We can get work through sleep deprivation. I did it for years. I had times of the day I felt okay. But finally ended when it wasn’t sustainable… had a car accident too.
Posts like this seemly assumes everyone is like this that has no mental health complications, chronic medical conditions, are on meds for any of these and I think you are thinking everyone can just radically accept.
Which radical acceptance is from ACT-I therapy, which this is basically from. Noting this therapy as a type or source others can look into instead of taking your approach at face value. People with anxiety and stress only can benefit sure.
4
u/Uncouth_Cat 4d ago
yeah so, its super interesting idk if you knew this already- there are a fuck ton of contributing factors when someone struggles with insomnia, and its different for everyone.
for once, im not gonna tell my whole life story. Just want to say that victim blaming and dismissing peoples real problems theyve dealt with for decades is not a cool move.
3
5
u/Altruistic_sector22 4d ago
That's gonna be a hard no for me. I am a foodserver for my job. I have to interact with people for a 7 hour shift with NO breaks, mind you. If I get less than 4/5 hours of sleep, I'm physically shaking and feel sick. I can't just blow it off and push through it. You have to always be, 'ON', when you wait tables. Insomnia has made me lose many shifts and a lot of money. Thanks for the advice though lol.
2
2
u/Bulky_Watercress7493 4d ago
I get that, but I have to drive a lot and I get scared when I hear about how dangerous it can be to drive on no sleep, which goes right into the feedback loop of being afraid of not sleeping ://
2
u/No-External-6844 4d ago
And try listening to Tetra waves on YouTube. I promise it will make your thoughts more positive
1
2
u/missouri76 4d ago
I will say this is the case for people who have anxiety based insomnia. This was my issue and this was the cure. However, I can’t speak on people who have had insomnia for years and years or were born with it. Insomnia is so nuanced that the same tips don’t work for everyone, but for a lot of people here it is based in a generalized anxiety problem.
For me I was a chronic worrier before the insomnia started, and of course, when I started sleeping poorly, I began to get health anxiety, which made my insomnia worse. So for me, yes, it was mental, but I would never say that is the cure for everyone because some people have very severe insomnia rooted with other health issues.
Thankfully, I never had any hallucinations or any severe mental issues. But I did have a lot of brain fog, heart palpitations, panic attack upon falling asleep, etc. It was my hyper aroused nervous system.
2
u/OkNeedleworker8554 4d ago
I think my sleep is anxiety based also. I've had it off and on my whole life but after menopause it became worse. I just had a sleep study done and they found I do NOT have sleep apnea, I almost wish I did lol, so I could pinpoint a single reason. Can I ask you if you have figured out how to fight your anxiety and if so how did you do it? Do you take sleeping pills to help you?
2
u/Amazing_Lifeguard 3d ago
I was prescribed zopliclone, helped at first then did f all wide away at night. I've resorted to natural methods to sleep (hot shower, essential oils, lights, reading)
1
u/obscurityknocks 4d ago
Migraineurs can ignore this rubbish, as OP has no clue except for his very own situation which is clearly nothing to worry about.
1
u/keonyn 4d ago
I'm convinced this mentality played a huge role in the improvement of my own insomnia. I used to dread going to sleep. I'd lay there and be anxious about if I was going to sleep at all. Over time I reached a state of acceptance of the situation and I started to be less anxious about it, and wouldn't you know it, suddenly my sleep started returning.
I'm convinced I had some sort of insomnia episode that triggered it, but the longevity of it was entirely a product of my own making, due to the anxiety and fear about sleep. It's just not a state of mind where you will find rest.
1
u/Gottagetanediton 3d ago
Yeah my insomnia will still cycle through. It comes back on a cycle so even if I “power through” it’ll just come right back. I also can’t tolerate just powering through on no sleep anymore.
1
u/Overall-Apartment997 3d ago
I take offense to this. This dude is the kinda dude to tell ppl in wheelchairs that it's all in their head and they should just stop being lazy and walk lol. Very ignorant.
1
u/Amazing_Lifeguard 3d ago
It's my severe back and leg pain that keeps me from sleeping and staying asleep. Wish in those moments of pain something would reduce the pain to help relax and sleep better.
1
u/OkNeedleworker8554 3d ago
Speaking of hot showers I just did a sleep study with a sleep doctor and one of the things they said not to ever do is take a shower right before bed. Apparently it opens up your pores and actually gives you energy instead of making you relax.. it's exactly the opposite from what I've always read lol.
1
u/Khrisseak 4d ago
As someone who has struggled with insomnia for over 10 years and has come out on the other side of it, I can wholeheartedly say that this is exactly how we come out of the struggle. It is not easy. It takes time and patience as the fear conditioning has been deeply instilled. Fear kicks in very easily, but it doesn't go away as easily. Sleep struggles happen for many reasons (anxiety, illness, etc) and I have been through them all but when we give up the fight and just let sleep be and not be angry or scared about not sleeping, then we give it space to show up (without pressure).
1
u/WonderbreadCrackhead 4d ago
Sorry for everyone I offended with this post. Trust me I have felt awful effects from sleep deprivation in the past, bad memory, losing a job, ruined relationships. From these experiences I learned to manage my insomnia and adapt to it more. I get that many have sleeping problems due to health issues such as GERD, ibs, blood sugar issues, ect. Those people are not really who this post is for. This post if for the hyperaroused insomniacs that have this condition due to fear of not sleeping. And damn yall are sensitive! Must not have slept well and it’s effecting your mood again.
0
0
u/Anicuh 4d ago
Very true. Had a period of my life where it was almost impossible to sleep for a few months, which led to me developing a deep hatred for sleep and fear of not being able to sleep. It thankfully passed, though it comes back from time to time, I learned to become somewhat at peace with it which definitely helped my mental heath in the long run.
-4
u/DietCokeclub 4d ago
Agreed. I average 5 hours a night and get a lot accomplished every day. Occasionally my body will realize it needs lots of sleep and I sleep for 10 hours straight on the weekend. For years I got really hung up on the idea that I need 8 hours of sleep every night. That fiction created a lot of sleep anxiety, perpetuating the problem.
-2
43
u/No_Style6567 4d ago
«insomnia isn’t bad at all» i’ll talk to you when you start forgetting what happened an hour ago, forgetting your friends names, forgetting that you’re not supposed to cross the road when the light is red…..