Mindfulness/acceptance for insomnia

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HI all,

 

For all of you (including me) suffering insomnia (due to benzo's or not) this source  might help:

 

https://thesleepschool.org/

 

Dr Guy Meadows talks about how much insomnia is fear based, ie the more anxious we are about not sleeping the less we tend to sleep and advocates accepting your insomnia as a way to improve it. Essentially you have to learn to not give a dam because the more you worry/obsess about sleep the more you put it up on a pedestal and the more pressure you put on yourself to sleep (which means less sleep). Your struggle against insomnia just makes it worse so you have to give up the struggle. The method is by no means a magic pill and can take a while to work but certainly it's worth a try. This approach is also no different to what many people have said (who have recovered or doing better) which is that worry makes insomnia so much worse and that you need to accept the current situation as a way of moving forward and improving it.

 

Guy has also written a nice book on the subject "The Sleep Book" which is an easy/fast read

 

Hope this helps

 

luv and hugs from down under

 

XOX

 

 

[Guest [Th...]]

Are you sure it's not guy meadows?

 

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Oops yes you are right - thanks for the correction

[[te...]]

Hi! thanks for posting this. I have this book and two others on ACT/mindfulness for insomnia. I also have one that is like a combo of CBT and ACT. The philosophy behind this is excellent, not just for sleep problems but for life problems in general. it's all about acknowledging feelings, thoughts, sensations for what they are... transient experiences that come and go. In a similar way, these things happen during withdrawal, and rough nights of sleep with difficult moments including thoughts of hopelessness come and go. The whole thing is getting some perspective and seeing how everything is a process. We can't control everything, but when we lean into it and allow ourselves to just experience these things, they don't last as long and they cease to control us. it doesn't necessarily "fix" things like anxiety and sleep, but it allows us to shift the way we see things which ultimately helps a LOT of things in life!!

 

as you can tell I'm biased I'm also a mental health professional who uses this approach a lot for lots of things.

 

I have used some of the techniques a lot during my own struggles and find it very helpful. also, I have started practicing mindfulness meditation every day for at least 15 minutes - trying to increase to 30... and I'm starting to include loving kindness/self-compassion meditations too.

 

sorry about the "me me me" nature of this. I hope someone else can find these things helpful!

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hi there - i'm a MHP also.. ACT is my fav therapy - makes a lot of sense although it doesn't come easy.. takes a lot of prac i think.. XOX

[[te...]]

hi there - i'm a MHP also.. ACT is my fav therapy - makes a lot of sense although it doesn't come easy.. takes a lot of prac i think.. XOX

 

Yes, exactly! The mindfulness aspects of it definitely take a lot of practice. And really understanding experiences as processes rather than truth. It's so applicable to the insomnia cycle! Thanks again for posting, great to see someone else on here who resonates with ACT!

[[al...]]

HI all,

 

For all of you (including me) suffering insomnia (due to benzo's or not) this source  might help:

 

https://thesleepschool.org/

 

Dr Guy Meadows talks about how much insomnia is fear based, ie the more anxious we are about not sleeping the less we tend to sleep and advocates accepting your insomnia as a way to improve it. Essentially you have to learn to not give a dam because the more you worry/obsess about sleep the more you put it up on a pedestal and the more pressure you put on yourself to sleep (which means less sleep). Your struggle against insomnia just makes it worse so you have to give up the struggle. The method is by no means a magic pill and can take a while to work but certainly it's worth a try. This approach is also no different to what many people have said (who have recovered or doing better) which is that worry makes insomnia so much worse and that you need to accept the current situation as a way of moving forward and improving it.

 

Guy has also written a nice book on the subject "The Sleep Book" which is an easy/fast read

 

Hope this helps

 

luv and hugs from down under

 

XOX

 

Insomnia does have a major head component, but I still find that some nights I fall asleep fairly fast even while anxious about falling asleep, while other times I am relaxed and certain of sleep only to find that it does not happen. Maybe if I peeled back the onion of my brain I would find that my inner feelings more closely match my sleep outcome. It is also possible that the randomness of sleep can be directly related to biochemical effects from withdrawal.

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Oh yes, of course the withdrawal aspect is another matter and affect sleep independently, mind you could theoretically make with withdrawals worse by over worrying about it.. 

 

HI all,

 

For all of you (including me) suffering insomnia (due to benzo's or not) this source  might help:

 

https://thesleepschool.org/

 

Dr Guy Meadows talks about how much insomnia is fear based, ie the more anxious we are about not sleeping the less we tend to sleep and advocates accepting your insomnia as a way to improve it. Essentially you have to learn to not give a dam because the more you worry/obsess about sleep the more you put it up on a pedestal and the more pressure you put on yourself to sleep (which means less sleep). Your struggle against insomnia just makes it worse so you have to give up the struggle. The method is by no means a magic pill and can take a while to work but certainly it's worth a try. This approach is also no different to what many people have said (who have recovered or doing better) which is that worry makes insomnia so much worse and that you need to accept the current situation as a way of moving forward and improving it.

 

Guy has also written a nice book on the subject "The Sleep Book" which is an easy/fast read

 

Hope this helps

 

luv and hugs from down under

 

XOX

 

Insomnia does have a major head component, but I still find that some nights I fall asleep fairly fast even while anxious about falling asleep, while other times I am relaxed and certain of sleep only to find that it does not happen. Maybe if I peeled back the onion of my brain I would find that my inner feelings more closely match my sleep outcome. It is also possible that the randomness of sleep can be directly related to biochemical effects from withdrawal.

[[Qu...]]

Aloha - that is my exact same experience. I can go to bed feeling quite relaxed and positive, then just not sleep. And vice versa, trembling legs up the stairs, then asleep in 10 minutes. Has to be something else going on as well.

 

Some nights, mindfulness works really well, but others I just know it won't. Neither do guided sleep meditations, weird sleep music, getting up and reading, etc. Even Michael Sealey, whose anxiety YouTube videos can send me to sleep in minutes when I am receptive, just don't do it.

 

However, the next day, during the day, I find they all help enormously again.

 

Does anyone else find this?

 

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yep i think if withdrawals are happening then this is a factor that affects sleep independently, but mindfulness can still help in that you accept the symptoms rather than overworrying..

 

and yes, i can hava relaxing day and sleep terribly when nothing seems to work...

 

hey i listen to michael sealey also!!

 

XOX

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1966 - Michael's voice is amazing isn't it? The only one that works for me!

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YES - he is rather good..

 

mind you there IS someone better Dr Emmett Miller - check him out on youtube - the most dreamy soothing voice...

 

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1966 - Thanks, I'll do that!  And I just ordered Dr Meadows' book, should be here tomorrow - I'll let you know how I get on xx

[[te...]]

Aloha - that is my exact same experience. I can go to bed feeling quite relaxed and positive, then just not sleep. And vice versa, trembling legs up the stairs, then asleep in 10 minutes. Has to be something else going on as well.

 

Some nights, mindfulness works really well, but others I just know it won't. Neither do guided sleep meditations, weird sleep music, getting up and reading, etc. Even Michael Sealey, whose anxiety YouTube videos can send me to sleep in minutes when I am receptive, just don't do it.

 

However, the next day, during the day, I find they all help enormously again.

 

Does anyone else find this?

 

100% this!!! What works one night may not work the next, ranging from sleeping aids (pills) to any of the techniques you mentioned. Sometimes delta wave sleep music helps, other times not... sometimes ASMR works....lately, not at all (I think I burned myself out on ASMR, LOL). This is going to sound funny, but what has helped me on vacation is people watching sports on the tv in the background. I fall asleep on the couch while people are around me watching football or basketball. Not that I think this is going to be the sleep aid of the future (LOL) but i'll take it. I think the sports events are sorta mild white noise for me, and I don't feel like I'm trying to "force" sleep. Anyway, even this doesn't always work! It's funny how we all realize this. Other people seem to think there's a "fix." Like black out curtains, or vitamins, or warm milk. Someone recently sent me a message "4 plants in your bedroom that can cure insomnia." I was laughing at that one. People are truly well-meaning but they have never had true, honest to god, withdrawal or chronic insomnia.

 

I've enjoyed this thread!

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I find that you have to have a variety of techniques up your sleeve - since each one will tend to lose novelty (therefore potency) after a time. I do like to use relaxation tapes (guided meditation, nature sounds) but i need to have a variety of them and use them sparingly otherwise they just become annoying! lol..

 

talking of silly sleep suggestions...

 

what about the several drops of lavender on your pillow - yeah right!! smells nice but never worked for me..

[[te...]]

Just to chime in more about mindfulness... I find it doesn't actually help induce sleep or help me one bit when I'm in the throes of this. BUT... meditating during the day is helping my awareness about my feelings and thoughts, and therefore helping me accept things and I'm finding that certain feelings/thoughts/sensations either don't last as long or are easier to deal with when they happen. It's helping me both with the sleep anxiety as well as life stuff as well. I've gotten up to about 20 minutes at a time during sessions, want to increase to 30. I haven't been as diligent about it while on my vacation, but I've still been doing 10-15 minute guided mindfulness meditations using my "Calm" app. It's a very cool app, they have a basic 7 day program and then specific meditations you can do - some of the stuff is free, and some you have to buy. Lately I've gotten into the "loving kindness" meditations, they are sorta like self-compassion. There is a whole line of literature and research about mindfulness, self-compassion, quality of life, etc. It's super interesting and lovely, I recommend checking it out! Can certainly help us have compassion for ourselves as we go through a lot of the tough parts of withdrawal/healing.

 

A couple of examples of how I feel mindfulness helps me:

For several weeks at a time I would get a wave of extreme anxiety in the afternoons between 2-6pm, and normally I was getting ready to teach a night class at 6 so it was a bad time to feel bad. I started recognizing this was going to happen, and realized it was around the same time and lasted around the same length of time. I accepted it was coming and implemented things to do to help me through it. The mindfulness practice also helps you get perspective on things and see things for what they are "processes" of experience, rather than literal truth (i.e "i feel really scared right now, but this is a wave" versus "i feel scared, I must be dying.").

 

Now, when I go lay down when I'm tired, many nights my heart will start racing and it's very uncomfortable. When this first started I thought I had heart failure and thought I was dying which triggered benzo use and started this whole thing! I have had many heart tests and logically know my heart is FINE, but the sensation still sucks. I have learned this is going to happen, and I just lay there and let it happen. Trust me, it's not fun and I can't fall asleep when it's pounding like that, but I don't get up and get restless like I first did... I just lay there and remind myself it does this, it's doing it's thing, and it won't last forever. I know that this is not always going to help, and that some nights/days will be tough no matter what, but mindfulness has truly made a huge difference in how I interpret what I'm experiencing.

 

I hope this all made sense!

[[te...]]

I find that you have to have a variety of techniques up your sleeve - since each one will tend to lose novelty (therefore potency) after a time. I do like to use relaxation tapes (nature sounds) but i need to have a variety of them and use them sparingly otherwise they just become annoying! lol..

 

talking of silly sleep suggestions...

 

what about the several drops of lavender on your pillow - yeah right!! smells nice but never worked for me..

 

totally! while we've been on vacation my husband and I have left the TV in the bedroom on to the "sound scapes" music channel, it plays like relaxing, meditative type music. some of it is just amazing, and even if it doesn't help me sleep, it's very soothing. I love the stuff that sounds like American Indian style music. also I love nature sounds - even before I had these issues I loved to put on rain sounds or cricket sounds in the background. Like, even if I can't sleep, at least it feels like i'm in nature!

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yep i teach mindfulness in my work with clients - the essential take home message that i want them to have is that they need to give up their struggle, since the struggle is expensive and only adds to the distress.. by accepting your distress you tend to lessen it

 

i think mindfulness is not intended to induce sleep per se, rather set up an environment more conducive to sleep (so the book says.. )

 

speaking of mindfulness me and hubby are to going to the Hopman Cup tom night to watch Federer play and then we stay at a nice hotel.. nice opp for me to try and enjoy the experience and put my other worries aside for a time.. probs won't sleep well but never mind lol...

 

[[Qu...]]

1966 and teal - love you guys, you are my twins (triplets, whatever!) In the way you are dealing with this.

 

Teal - If you read my sig, you will see I DID actually have a heart attack, which precipitated all this. Good news from this is I can confirm all the heart pounding is nothing like one, neither are the pectoral pains so many of us get. The other good news is that mine was takotsubo (worth a Google), so has healed completely and no heart meds, thank goodness.

 

Mindfulness has helped me with the aftermath, wish I found it years ago!

 

Have you heard of the seventies folk group Incantation? They did a load of pan pipe music, I love Doinas Cestriana (or something like that) to relax to on there Very Best of album.

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awww that is very sweet of you to say that Queen  

 

keep well XOX

 

 

[[te...]]

1966, have a wonderful time with your husband and like you said, enjoy the experience!!! That sounds so fun!

 

Queen, thanks for sharing that! That is so scary, and I can imagine how health anxiety could come from that - I have had health anxiety for a long time, usually comes from health scares and have seen so many doctors for so many things. My current thing I think I have is sleep apnea, LOL. I always think I have something. At least this isn't as scary as some of the previous conditions I self-diagnosed with.

 

I will check Incantation out! that sounds like it would be up my alley!

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thanks teal - yes i intend to have a good time (even if i'm miserable!) lol..

 

health anxiety hey? yep i know a bit about that - actually published an article on it - let me know if you're ever interested to read it, mind you it could make you anxious lol... just kidding.. it's all good 

 

ok signing off for tonight - watching the tennis

[[te...]]

thanks teal - yes i intend to have a good time (even if i'm miserable!) lol..

 

health anxiety hey? yep i know a bit about that - actually published an article on it - let me know if you're ever interested to read it, mind you it could make you anxious lol... just kidding.. it's all good 

 

ok signing off for tonight - watching the tennis

 

I would love to read the article! please share when you have a chance, if you don't mind

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i wll PM you the details tom

[[te...]]

Thanks for sending the article! How did your stay in the hotel and time with husband go??

 

We are still traveling, our last stop before going home. I tried doing mindfulness meditation on the plane with the Calm app. It was a sorta laughable attempt, lol but I did it! I then used the background nature noise they have to try to sleep to. I did sleep a little on the plane, but of course it was very uncomfortable and loud. Then at our friend's apartment it took me forever to fall asleep, at least it felt that way - and I woke up a bunch since my husband and his friend were up playing a board game til 3am! Lol! Then my brain woke me up at 4:45am since we are now three time zones ahead and I just wanted to get up and have coffee even though I hadn't had enough sleep- I was awake til probably after 6 and somehow patience helped and I got a bit more! I think the mindfulness helps  with patience sometimes, too. My husband and I had a really cool conversation about mindfulness in Starbucks earlier, he's reading a book about it too and I'm happy he's interested in it also!!

 

How are you guys doing?