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Insomnia Coach® Podcast

Insomnia Coach® Podcast

Martin Reed, MEd, CHES®, CCSH

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.

50 - 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)
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  • 50 - 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)




    Listen to the podcast episode (audio only)



    A couple of years ago, Maria experienced anxiety and panic attacks. When she didn't sleep for over 72 hours, she felt that something was wrong with her. She feared that the chemistry of her brain had changed and her days became dominated by sleep-related thoughts and worries.

    Medication didn't seem to help. Maria felt lonely, confused, and afraid. She felt that she couldn't even leave the house because things were so difficult. She withdrew from doing things that she enjoyed. She found it hard to focus on anything other than sleep.

    Feeling completely stuck, Maria committed to a new approach. She started to leave the house and went for short walks — even when her mind told her that wasn't possible. Taking baby steps, she started to do more of the things that mattered to her.

    Perhaps the most helpful change Maria made was facing the fear of insomnia. Instead of trying to fight or avoid insomnia and all the difficult thoughts and feelings associated with it, Maria started to allow it to exist. She would even start to welcome it, whenever it chose to show up — and, by doing this, Maria found that insomnia started to lose its power and influence.

    She soon discovered that she didn't need medication to generate sleep. That she didn't need to do anything to make sleep happen. And, that trying to fight or avoid insomnia and the difficult thoughts and feelings that often come with it only set her up for an ongoing struggle that made everything more difficult.

    Maria realized that insomnia's survival depends on how we respond to it. And, she is 100% sure that with the right approach, no matter how bad your situation might be right now, you can recover.

    Click here for a full transcript of this episode.Click here to hide the transcript.
    Martin Reed:
    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.

    Martin Reed:
    The content of this podcast 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.

    Martin Reed:
    Okay, Maria, thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to come onto the podcast.

    Maria Koziol:
    Absolutely, no problem. My pleasure.

    Martin Reed:
    I'm really excited to have you on. Let's just start right at the beginning. When did your sleep problems begin and what do you think caused those initial issues with sleep?

    Maria Koziol:
    If we're talking about the trigger, I think it was a very complex case. There was not a singular cause or trigger that I could point out. I think I haven't even been able to recognize it yet, like 100%, what was that? I just think it all started at the point when I actually started to have different mental health problems. That was at the beginning of 2021 when all of a sudden, I started to have panic attacks and anxiety attacks, when I had never ever experienced such things before. I was trying to figure out why at that time, why the beginning of 2021? I hadn't had any major tragic events at that time,
    Wed, 14 Jun 2023 - 1h 03min
  • 49 - How Leah freed herself from the insomnia struggle by abandoning her efforts to control sleep (#48)




    Listen to the podcast episode (audio only)



    Leah's insomnia showed up around puberty and was a consistent presence throughout her teenage years. As an adult, Leah found that insomnia would often come and go in response to the stress and anxiety that comes with being a human being — until it showed up and stuck around for several weeks. What that happened, Leah found it harder to be the person she wanted to be and live the life she wanted to live. Sleeping pills no longer seemed to be the solution and she found herself really struggling.

    Like most people who struggle with chronic insomnia, Leah felt stuck. And that was because so many of the things she did to try to fix her sleep and deal with all the difficult thoughts and feelings that come with insomnia just weren't working. They weren't getting her where she wanted to be. The more she tried, the more difficult it all became.

    So Leah decided to pursue a different approach. She moved away from trying to control sleep. She stopped chasing after sleep. She stopped putting pressure on herself to make sleep happen. She would remind herself that her body knew how to sleep and so it was pointless to put effort into sleep. Leah also worked on detaching herself from her thoughts — with ongoing practice she was able to become more of an observer of her thoughts and remain more present when they swept in and tried to push her around.

    Leah also realized that canceling plans and staying home after difficult nights didn't make things any better. So, she committed to going about each day, independently of sleep — and she started to notice that even when she felt exhausted she could still do things that mattered and she could still focus on things other than sleep — even if only for a moment. Leah found that by committing to actions that kept her moving toward the life she wanted to live she was able to start freeing herself from all the mental chatter she was experiencing.

    Leah's life is no longer controlled by how she sleeps or by the thoughts her mind generates. Sleep now feels more natural and all the energy that was once consumed by an ongoing struggle with insomnia is now being used to do more of the things that matter to her. Things that help Leah live the life she wants to live, independently of sleep.

    Click here for a full transcript of this episode.Click here to hide the transcript.
    Martin Reed:
    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.

    Martin Reed:
    The content of this podcast 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.

    Martin Reed:
    Okay, so Leah, thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to come onto the podcast.

    Leah Werner:
    I'm excited to be here. It's nice to be on the other side of it.

    Martin Reed:
    Yeah, you're not the first person to say that. Someone finds the podcast and then one day they're a guest themselves, and I think that's the ultimate success story. Let's get started talking about your experience and your story.
    Fri, 19 May 2023 - 1h 05min
  • 48 - How Amanda reclaimed her life from insomnia and abandoned all the rules and rituals that were making things more difficult (#47)




    Listen to the podcast episode (audio only)



    Amanda slept well through high school, college, and her early professional life. Her experience with insomnia began when a number of different stressors all showed up around the same time. She had a baby. She relocated. She had to get a new job. She had to deal with a toxic parent.

    Even when things settled down, Amanda found herself struggling to fall asleep. She felt as though her own mind was working against her. She started to panic and didn't know what to do.

    After finding that CBD gummies, melatonin, over-the-counter sleep aids, alcohol, and the many sleep rituals and rules she implemented were not helping, Amanda realized she needed to explore a different approach. That was when she found the Insomnia Coach podcast, recognized her own experience in the stories of others, and started working with me.

    Amanda realized that the more she chased after sleep, the more she craved it, the more she tried to make it happen, the more difficult it became. So, she started to move away from chasing after sleep and from trying to fight or avoid nighttime wakefulness and all the difficult thoughts and feelings that came with it.

    She started to acknowledge her thoughts — even the really difficult ones — instead of trying to control them. As she did that, she found that her thoughts weren't always true and that she always had control over her actions, regardless of what her mind might have told her.

    As she practiced this new approach, Amanda started to notice more of the good stuff that was present in her life and she started to do more of the things that mattered to her. And, as she moved away from the insomnia struggle and expanded the focus of her attention, she found that she started to sleep a lot better, too.

    As Amanda shares in this episode, the process was not easy. There were ups and downs. Her new approach took time and ongoing practice. However, as she started to get more comfortable with experiencing nighttime wakefulness, as she gained skill in allowing her thoughts and feelings to come and go as they pleased, and as she committed to doing things that kept her moving toward the life she wanted to live each day — independently of sleep — she was able to reclaim her life from insomnia.

    Click here for a full transcript of this episode.Click here to hide the transcript.
    Martin Reed:
    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.

    Martin Reed:
    The content of this podcast 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.

    Martin Reed:
    Okay. So Amanda, thank you so much for taking the time out for your day to come onto the podcast.

    Amanda Kramer:
    I'm so happy to be here.

    Martin Reed:
    I'm really excited for everything that we are going to cover. Let's just start right at the beginning. Can you tell us when your sleep problems first began, and if you can remember or if it was obvious what you think caused those initial issues with sleep?
    Fri, 21 Apr 2023 - 1h 12min
  • 47 - How Eddie got through the ups and downs of insomnia by implementing a plan that stopped it from controlling his life (#46)




    Listen to the podcast episode (audio only)



    Eddie struggled with sleep for over 10 years. During that time he would experience a lot of ups and downs — whenever he thought his sleep was back on track, things would get difficult again.

    The more difficult sleep proved to be, the more he would struggle. And, when he struggled, he found himself doing less of the things that mattered to him.

    Eddie's transformation began when he moved away from chasing after sleep and practiced habits that helped create and maintain good conditions for sleep. Perhaps most importantly, he also took the time to identify what insomnia seemed to be stopping him from doing. What it seemed to be taking from him. And then he started to do those things, to take them back, even after difficult nights.

    As Eddie shares in this episode, the process wasn't easy — but having a clear plan in place and committing to that plan, even when things were difficult and even when his mind was trying to distract him and pull him away from that plan, kept him moving forward.

    Eddie now reflects on his experience with insomnia as something that was actually quite empowering. In Eddie's own words, he's not happy he went through this experience but he's not sad that he went through it, either.

    Click here for a full transcript of this episode.Click here to hide the transcript.
    Martin Reed:
    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.

    Martin Reed:
    The content of this podcast 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.

    Martin Reed:
    Okay, Eddie, thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to come onto the podcast.

    Eddie Vaisman:
    Oh, you're welcome. Yeah, it's good to be here.

    Martin Reed:
    It's great to have you on. Let's get started right away and start at the beginning. If you can just tell us a little bit more about when your sleep issues first began, and if you are able to recollect what caused those initial issues with sleep?

    Eddie Vaisman:
    Yeah, of course. They began, God many years ago, and it was at a time, it's interesting, it was at a time when I didn't really have that much going on in my life. I had made some pretty good money and I was pretty financially secure. And I was able to, this was a weird angle on the thing, but I was able to take a lot of time off and I didn't have to really work really regularly. And that gave me the freedom to develop bad habits, and that's where it started. It was for me having the freedom to do whatever I wanted with my day and then actually misusing that freedom in a way that led to sleep problems and stuff like that.

    I started napping at odd hours, having a really irregular schedule all over the place, and then started having trouble every once in a while. Then started having trouble regularly with it, and then you could say it kind of spiraled from there into becoming a factor in my life that actually started to undermine me and make things a lot more diffic...
    Tue, 14 Mar 2023 - 1h 05min
  • 46 - How Jeannette got back on track after an insomnia relapse and how ongoing practice helped her move away from ongoing struggle (#45)




    Listen to the podcast episode (audio only)



    Jeannette thought of herself as a great sleeper until 13 years ago when she moved and her work schedule become less consistent. She started to stay up later and sleep in later and this led to some sleep disruption. When Jeannette tried to fix this, she ended up going down the insomnia rabbit hole and started researching how to get rid of her insomnia. The more research she did, the more she tried to fix her sleep, the more rules and rituals she engaged in, and the more she found herself struggling.

    After working with me, Jeannette's sleep improved — but one night she woke up and found that she couldn't fall back to sleep and all her old fears returned. She felt that something must be wrong with her as she found herself waking and finding it impossible to fall back to sleep night after night.

    This pulled Jeannette back into her old safety behaviors that she knew from experience weren't helpful because she just didn't know what else to do.

    In this episode, Jeannette describes how she moved away from the insomnia struggle; how she became more comfortable with nighttime wakefulness, how she stopped chasing after sleep, how she started to allow her mind to generate whatever thoughts it chose to generate — even the difficult ones, and how she started to be kinder to herself when things were difficult.

    Perhaps most importantly of all, Jeannette's story shows that ups and downs are normal and to be expected. Just as we will have difficult days from time to time, we will have difficult nights from time to time. What truly matters is how we respond.

    Click here for a full transcript of this episode.Click here to hide the transcript.
    Martin Reed:
    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.

    Martin Reed:
    The content of this podcast 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.

    Martin Reed:
    Okay. Jeanette, thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to come onto the podcast.

    Jeannette Stojcevski:
    You're welcome. Glad to be here.

    Martin Reed:
    I'm really looking forward to our conversation, so let's just get started. I'd like to start right at the beginning. So can you tell us a little bit more about when your sleep problems first began and what you think may have caused those initial issues with sleep?

    Jeannette Stojcevski:
    Yeah, so my sleep problems, I never had problems sleeping in my teens, my 20s. I was a great sleeper, a really great sleeper. I brag about it. I needed to get my eight, nine hours. So I was always a little obsessive about it, but I was a great sleeper. And then right about 13 years ago, I was living in LA and I'm a personal trainer, so my job was pretty consistent as far as the schedule. But around 30, I moved to Hollywood. I wanted a change, I moved to a little city outside of Hollywood that I liked. And I commuted to work three days a week. And on the other two days, Tuesdays and Thursdays, I worked from home,
    Thu, 16 Feb 2023 - 1h 04min
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