How Ryan's world RE-OPENED after years of insomnia (Talking insomnia

[@ackphilchi6880]

I'm glad that this interview is an example Of someone who used Sleep meds as a bridge. I find that a lot of the other interviews don't mention that so we are left with the assumption that they did not use sleep meds and just practiced Sleep Coach principles. In truth that is very hard to do so I'm glad this interview doesn't sugarcoat the process. Sleep meds can play a role. I would like to get more detail on how long he was on sleep Meds and was he taking it daily and how did he wean himself off the meds.

[@indie_princess]

Oh my gosh a sleep tracker has got to be an insomniacs worst "nightmare"😂. I haven't even had a clock or a phone in my room for probably 10 years now because seeing the time in the night would cause me so much stress.

[@melissawilson4796]

This guy was good to listen to. I’m glad he’s doing better. I am really trying to integrate this teaching of not trying to control sleep, but it’s a lot harder when I was up the entire night before, and I really really want to avoid yet another sleepless night, so I naturally reach for the sleeping pill (or pills) in an effort to control it and keep myself from panicking .

[@thesleepcoachschool8192]

Thank you for your heartfelt comment! We want to assure you that your comments are seen and deeply appreciated. We're grateful that the message resonated with you and that it's contributing to a meaningful conversation. Your support means a lot, and we're glad it made sense to you. 💙

[@Stuffed_chicken]

46??? Omg Ryan looks 20!

[@ryanwire]

@stuffed_chicken I wish I still felt like I did when I was 20!

[@Stuffed_chicken]

@@ryanwire 😅 thank you for your story!

[@Sunflowersarepretty]

Its reliving because I always thought I need sleep to maintain my looks at the very least 😭😭​@@1timbarrett

[@michellechang2538]

This is a great interview podcast, Ryan’s story is very similar to mine, so this conversation is very helpful and lots encouragement for me ! I truly appreciate Daniel and Ryan for doing this podcast, I’m sure it would benefit to the insomnia community !!! Thank you 🙏 ❤

[@ryanwire]

@michellechang2538 Glad to hear that you feel encouraged. It's hard to let go of that pressure we put on ourselves, but it can be done even though I used to think I would be the exception.

[@juliareid3258]

I definitely relate to the comment “all the pressure you put on yourself”-I have noticed I do this in general, and Ryan’s insight about self acceptance definitely plays into that. So when we already put pressure on ourselves/have negative thoughts towards ourselves during the day, that pressure for me is also applied to sleep “I gotta get this right”

[@ryanwire]

I forgot to mention that one of the downsides of sleep meds is that they can make you feel groggy the next day, which makes it harder to get through the next day, possibly increasing the fear of how you will feel after a night of poor sleep.. I'm not saying you should not use them, but just be aware of that effect. Also, depression can add to your sleepiness. Now that my mood is better and I'm not taking medication for sleep, I can still function the next day even if I have a terrible night. Who knew? Sleep Coach School did! Diphenhydramine Benadryl Doxylamine Unisom Hydroxyzine Suvorexant Belsomra Lemborexant Dayvigo Mirtazapine Remeron Trazodone Desyrel Doxepin Silenor Gabapentin Quetiapine Seroquel Olanzapine Zyprexa Zolpidem Ambien Eszopiclone Lunesta Clonazepam Klonopin Alprazolam Xanax Ramelteon Rozerem Cannabis Supplements Melatonin Magnesium Kava Valerian Chamomile 5-HTP GABA

[@RUDEMASTER]

I didn't see anywhere else where I could comment. I was asking daniel you do newsletters now??

[@eddakraynak5951]

There are so many parallels to this story in my own experience. Perhaps I will be brave enough at some point to share mine.

[@ryanwire]

@@eddakraynak5951 I don't know what your situation is, but you're welcome here in this community. It's a very supportive place.

[@thesleepcoachschool8192]

@RUDEMASTER hi Rudy, yes! You can sign up for the free course on our website and you will be added if you’d like 🙂

[@rosiemac2538]

What meds do you take for mood? (if you don't mind me asking)

[@ΜελίναΚολοβέτσιου]

Hello Daniel !! I had acute very severe insomnia for about two months ago.Thanks to you and the community of KZbin I was able to sleep way much better.For the last month I sleep well for 6 nights a week (I fell asleep and stay asleep for at least 6 hours).But one day a week either I can’t fall asleep at all or I can’t stay asleep for more than two-four hours.I feel much better now thanks to your lessons.I can’t thank you enough!!I don’t know why though this insomnia thing is going on.Even though I sleep and fell much better this one time a week insomnia thing is really tiring physically and emotionally.I know that maybe it’s part of the recovery process.

[@thesleepcoachschool8192]

Hi! So so glad things are easier 🙂 thanks for sharing! And you know if you look at our final hurdle episode 421 and combine this with the unrefreshing sleep playlist you have much that will help!

[@CarmenRogers-x9y]

Thank you so much for sharing this! This was so insightful and I can relate so much!!❤

[@yuqxzz]

Coach daniel what do you do if you don’t feel sleepy all night while doing sleep restriction getting out or sleep and going back when u only tired but you don’t sleepy at all I been struggling for 5 months I need help.

[@thesleepcoachschool8192]

Hi, I’d say it’s our fear of not sleeping that masks sleepiness so we don’t feel sleepy all night. And it doesn’t matter if we are in bed or not: anything that makes it more okay that I we are awake teaches our brain that not sleeping isn’t a threat or danger. And when the brain realizes we are safe, we feel sleepy again

[@caligirl-f2n]

I relate to Ryan and his journey. I've read Set It and Forget It and have also watched a lot of your videos. I understand what's happening to me (hyperarousal masking the sleepiness) but it's hard to apply your teachings because the insomnia is just making me so depressed. And the depression is making me feel unmotivated all day. I am on an SSRI too (prozac) but I feel like it's not helping

[@thesleepcoachschool8192]

Hang in there, the fact that you’re tuning in and relating… it shows a readiness to learn, and even if nothing changes now, things are happening in the background, in the subconscious, things sink in… and then eventually things get easier when we no longer are hard on ourselves or push ourselves when we feel sad or don’t do much…. Rooting for you

[@rosiemac2538]

Thank you for sharing your struggle with insomnia Ryan. Do you mind sharing what meds you take now that helped with your mood? You look so well now😊

[@thesleepcoachschool8192]

Hi! If you tag him (username in description) he’ll get a notification

[@ryanwire]

I replied elsewhere. Did you see that comment?

[@rosiemac2538]

No ..​@@ryanwire

[@danh2310]

Great videos Daniel. I have been sleeping better for a few weeks now but the fear hasn't fully left me I still worry from time to time and think about sleep a fair bit. Does it take time for the fear to fully fade away? I wouldn't say I'm nervous going to bed. I just want to never think about it like i used too lol.

[@thesleepcoachschool8192]

So glad to hear Dan 😊! And I’d say it’s like when someone broke up with us in high school, it can still hurt a little bit thinking about it 30 years later! But that’s normal and it doesn’t bother us at all 🙂 It’s when we think “I shouldn’t have this feeling” that we can have some struggle.

[@ryanwire]

I tried to do the same in the beginning (a kind of pressure, a result of anxiety and need to control). My therapist helped me visualize this process. Our brains create well-worn pathways when we have repetitive thinking and feeling. Even as you start to change, those pathways fire up from time to time. With the knowledge you have, you kindly remind yourself that those pathways aren't something you have to believe. As such, you give them a little space to just do their thing. It doesn't mean that you find them fun or soothing. But you realize it's just the brain being "triggered" and you get carried along for some moments. But, like all things, they will pass and you'll be ok. This is the belief that has plenty of evidence to support it. And then, just like an upset child who needs to have a little meltdown, things quiet back down.

[@djlibrea5338]

Daniel, I am so young as in 17, when I have experienced this, am I in the disadvantaged position than of those who have gone through this in their adult stage? I think I am the only youngest here.😢But I'm getting okay now

[@irishinaanuran739]

Hi daniel.. I just want to ask how to get your book.. Where i can buy.. I hope you answer back

[@thesleepcoachschool8192]

Hi, they’re on Amazon. Maybe one day I’ll come up with a way of selling them on our website but for now on Amazon, thanks for asking and hope you’ll find much value there

[@booitsjohnny]

I was on the road to recovery and was feeling so much better in october....after a fierce battle with insomnia for 20 months or so...thanks to you I was getting better and I imagined myself showing up as one of these recovery story people... but my tinnitus decided to spike in October to a higher level and I am back to not sleeping....it's worse than ever...i am on ambien and i am so stressed and depressed the days I try to sleep without medicine i can barely sleep even a few minutes..the tinnitus is making me miserable and i feel so depressed and lost. please if you recommend anything at all for me right now I'd like to know.. a book, a doctor, an app, anything...i feel so doomed :(

[@thesleepcoachschool8192]

Hang in there Johnny, I’m glad things got easier and you know, that would not happen without some wonderful heart work… but the mind is our misguided protector sometimes and it will think it needs to save us from sound, thoughts, emotions… I’d say though that your journey is very familiar, nothing strange or unusual. You can check our website for ways to work with a coach or do our free course… hang in there, rooting for you much

[@MBT372]

Try chelated zinc

[@ryanwire]

While I have not had the misfortune of dealing with tinnitus, I'm sure it's bothersome and it's not really surprising that you'd experience sleep disruption. I have a bruised rib right now and it's waking me up from time to time, leading to poorer quality sleep. But, I'm accepting of the sleep disruption. It happens and it won't be forever.

[@ShreySodhani]

Hey Daniel Your Videos are uust amazing and informative. But I just want to ask one question is that I don't get speed bumps or something but I keep waking up a lot while sleeping but then at one time I am fully aware that I am awake and I cant fall back asleep . How to fix this. Before I used to get continuous sleep but from past 2 months I can't

[@thesleepcoachschool8192]

Hi Shrey, so glad you’re finding them helpful 😊 And if you check episode 507 on hyper sleep I think it will help

[@HannahLucia]

I have a question, if a sleeping med causes “rebound insomnia” is that from the medication causing it, or is it from your brain being in hyperarousal again because you don’t have a safety net aka a pill to help you fall asleep.

[@thesleepcoachschool8192]

Incredibly insightful question imho, and to me it’s the second. Stopped anything sedating that has suppressed the activity in our nervous system can lead to temporarily increased activity and wakefulness - but that’s rebound wakefulness, insomnia is only when we are afraid of wakefulness. And that comes from feeling unsafe. Well said

[@ryanwire]

I think there's some confusion about whether a symptom is caused by the med or is just the symptom that we started with. In psychiatry this is often referred to as "breakthrough symptoms." The symptom that we start with is not sleeping. We expect the med to squash that symptom, but it doesn't always work, or hardly works (in my case). I would sleep only one hour on Ambien! And then feel really groggy/hungover. The ambien caused the grogginess but the hyperarousal was just a breakthrough symptom of the underlying anxiety.

[@maxiscece]

Sometimes going back to work is not a must do or recovery sign post . 😅

[@thesleepcoachschool8192]

Absolutely, for some not going back can mean we’ve found our way 😊

[@maxiscece]

I said so because I am retired , so I was looking forward to just chill . 😢 but …..lost my sleep and found anxiety I have never experienced before for the past many months . So ….just saying quite stuck . 😅. Your teaching , the community helped 🎉 but the journey is just full of unpleasant surprises and waves of uncertainty. 😢

[@thesleepcoachschool8192]

@maxiscece I hear, and it totally makes sense.. hang in there and hopefully you’ll learn much from the waves and the community that will really help

[@ryanwire]

Absolutely! What you want to "get back to" is living the life that you'd like to have, whatever that looks like for you. Having shut down my life was not the life I wanted. I was afraid and didn't know what to do. I hope your anxiety lessens and you can realize the retired life you envisioned for yourself.

[@maxiscece]

Thanks

[@permanentwavesmusic]

Hi daniel, I have been experiencing some pretty severe insomnia since around September after coming back to Canada from a trip to Europe. It has completely thrown my life upside down. Like Ryan did, I am finding myself withdrawing from life, having lots of anxiety, especially health anxiety. I have believed that sleep is so important for health and I worry that the fact that some nights I don't sleep at all, how is that affecting me? I mean, some nights I sleep 1 or two hours, three or four nights in a row. It's been a complete nightmare and I don't feel like myself at all. The past month It's been consistantly one day of ok/mediocre sleep (from taking melatonin, or ativan, or mirtazapine) and then the next day I will not sleep AT ALL. I am pretty afraid and feeling really depressed about my life right now. I am having a hard time accepting that the way to get better is to befriend wakefulness... any tips?

[@thesleepcoachschool8192]

Sorry to hear about what’s happened but glad you’re here. You know, much of what teachers can not make much sense without some foundational understanding… starting with the This is Natto playlist or our free mini course on our website can really help. Rooting for you. Oh and the Talking insomnia episode with Spyros may resonate, it started with a trip

[@permanentwavesmusic]

Daniel, thank you so much for leading me to Sypros' video, I really resonated. I suddenly felt such a huge relief and shift in my energy and attitude towards this. Yesterday and in fact the past few months I was dreading the evening and night time so much. Today I feel calm, and really enjoying my time :) @@thesleepcoachschool8192

[@ryanwire]

I'm really sorry to hear that you're in this pit of despair right now. It's awful, you're suffering. I know exactly what this is like. While your journey to recovery may be different than mine, I wanted to share my story just to make it clear that where you are is not a dead-end road. If we have anxiety that is not proportional to the circumstances, it can deceive us. Anxiety is very persuasive! It collapses our world into a very narrow focus, useful if we're being attacked by a conspecific, but not useful for this. For me, I needed some medication to give me the boost to see beyond the pit and make use of what I learned in therapy. (I resisted this option for a long time due to my health anxiety and my bias towards "natural" interventions.) Allow yourself the space to find your own path forward and it's ok to acknowledge that you're really struggling right now. I wish that things change for you sooner than later, but no pressure either way! Oh, and I had to learn how to befriend a tired-next-day feeling because that's what I was really fearful of.

[@permanentwavesmusic]

Thank you so much for the kind words and reassurance! I also have experienced health anxiety so I'm with you there. In fact, I believe it was the health anxiety that got me here. I was obsessed with following a strict diet, buying numerous supplements and superfoods, pressuring myself to exercise everyday. Basically, I wasn't allowing myself to have fun in my life anymore and I couldn't even concentrate on regular tasks because all I could think about was my health. Good news is that things are going so well compared to just a few weeks ago! I've been using the Bedtyme app and educating myself through this channel which has helped so much. My sleep has still been wonky and I expect it will be that way for some time still, but at least I am getting up normally and going about my life as usual now, yay! And yes, I am at the point now of accepting the tired feeling the day after. It's not so bad actually, and I find the less I react to being awake with anxiety and panic, the more normal I feel during the day. I really think it is the emotional fatigue that makes everything worse. You are right that anxiety makes our worldview so small, so focused on un-important, minute details. Life is so much more than sleep and being "perfect," whether that's in health or other areas. I'm ditching the health obsession and I'm enjoying my life again :)@@ryanwire

[@permanentwavesmusic]

UPDATE: I found out I have mold. Not to scare anyone but just make sure there isn’t anything causing your insomnia that is physical. Turns out mold was causing insomnia and anxiety for me. Nevertheless, this is still a great resource and has helped me out a lot ❤️

[@aquariusstarchild5156]

This commhi this I'd just lke me ❤

[@mestayno]

4-ish sleep is not recovery in my book 😢

[@Christian.Raduescu]

Hearing people quitting jobs over this sounds a little unconfortable. Thank God I work night shifts😂. Well if life gives me lemons I'll just make lemonade.

[@briechilli4496]

Some Mood medications can also make you sleep though and not make you give an f.

[@ryanwire]

@briechilli4496 Yes, it's pretty wild how different medications can affect people so differently. I tried many medications, but my current regimen has helped me improve my quality of life. Unfortunately, we just don't have the technology at this time to know what will work best for each individual BEFORE they experiment. It's a trial-and-error process, and it's hard!