Talking insomnia #66: From OCD, Anxiety, PTSD and insomnia to immunity... THIS is transformation!

[@mh-mo4bj]

I have severe OCD and severe insomnia and relate to this so much!!! I am so glad I found this!!

[@thesleepcoachschool8192]

I’m so glad you did as well 😊!!

[@MESteve85]

I saw Andreas really wanted to cry and I cried with him. Acceptance is so goddarn hard. You can tell how much he's struggled. And I feel it with him

[@vassybaby16]

I have insomnia and sensorimotor ocd. I want to accept sooo bad but I still have fear…it’s not of death but of being uncomfortable for the rest of my life

[@aliiiiibaby]

I have insomnia and sensiromotor ocd. The sensorimotor ocd doesn't let me sleep.

[@evatempleton5994]

This is exactly how it happened to me. Thank you so much for sharing this very personal story. God bless you Andreas

[@steviemclaughlin9372]

This was the one - this was the episode that helped me get it. My journey and thought processes feel so similar to Andreas. Thank you thank you thank you to Daniel and Andreas - what an amazing interview.

[@thesleepcoachschool8192]

Stevie! I’m sooo glad to read this 😊 it shows how important it is to hear stories of people who have arrived at a place of peace from a place of struggle that you may have thought was uncommon or not possible to leave. I sent a screenshot of this comment to Andreas, I’m sure he’ll be just as happy as I was seeing this!!!

[@glowingbuddha]

while he was speaking i laid on the couch and stayed really still and allowed the massive fear to come over me and i actually heard my heart calm down while confronting it

[@thesleepcoachschool8192]

So so glad you’re seeing the magic of non resistance

[@frederika8909]

Me too, Stevie. So eye opening. My current experiences are very similar-Hours sleeping, OCD, etc. I’m working on acknowledging my fear and anxiety and observing my body as I experience these states. Time to face it, not distract. What a wild ride. Who knew my wakefulness would lead to my true awakening. Feeling blessed for the journey. ❤

[@GachiCool]

Andres thank you for sharing it as real as life is. It means a lot.

[@matthewparisien3504]

Daniel, this is one of your best videos. Thank you so much Andreas for sharing your wisdom, you have so eloquently expressed how to find peace within this painful struggle. It's definitely a process for me, as someone who also struggles with OCD/intrusive thoughts acceptance is so difficult, especially when working against a brain that doesn't want you to accept. This video really gave me a glimpse of what acceptance might look like. Thank you!

[@thesleepcoachschool8192]

Thanks so much Matthew for the encouragement 😊 and yes, this and his next one #67 are incredible

[@hugotielen]

Hi Andreas and Daniel,WOW! This truly is an amazing episode for so many reasons. For me personally because I remember you Andreas so well coming into the self-coaching programm, I felt a connection to you as there was a thought, this is the first time I have met someone who seems to struggle as much or even more with insomnia than me! And like you say in the episode, there is no point in comparing, but perhaps also for other readers here, you were so obviously in a deep deep struggle. To see you now, so much lighter, more clear, with a sense of calm and rest about you. I bow down deeply to that, wow you are such an inspiration to have climbed out from such a hellish/desperate condition. I learned a lot from this episode. The main thing perhaps that nobody can force this journey or predict it's outcome. The funny thing is, I also came accross Meadow's book years ago. I also used the app and gave myself over to it completely. At some point I was doing five meditations a day from his app. I also tried to welcome everything at night. But for me none of it worked because it all turned into a giant sleep effort. So that only shows there has to be a readiness to do these things. The time has to be right. Sometimes I think suffering is ultimately the thing that teaches us how to surrender and just be with what comes up, and you sure had your portion of that. I also liked the part where you mention: "with a disease or a grieving process, there is a built-in surrender because there truly is nothing to be done about it. But insomnia is difficult because there it SEEMS as though there is something you can do so you get stuck in all these efforts, feelings of failure etc" So profound. Once one realises that there truly is nothing to be done about insomnia, that's when it starts to heal. Perhaps only then this proces can start that you talk about, accepting the sensations etc. As long as there is the tiniest shread of believing in the possibilty of escaping sleeplesness, the mind will take that route and will revert to sleep efforts. And these efforts can be disguised as the most profound meditation techniques, I guess I am describing myself here 😊 Anyway thank you so much Andreas for putting in all this work of overcoming your situation, it's really inspiring and I take heart from it 🙏

[@thesleepcoachschool8192]

Hugo, you expressed in three letters how I felt as well - wow. And just like with this interview, there’s so much in your comment that is so profound and true… but I just want to share that I had the exact same thought, that when we have gone through a traumatic event like the loss of a loved one, we know there’s nothing we can do. And somehow this is what leads to peace, fully seeing that there’s nothing we can do, so scary at first, but yes I totally believe this is what can lead us to freedom.. Look forward to a deep dive with Andreas next week, I hope you’ll find it helpful as well and you can just message me in Slack if you have specific questions for him 😊

[@andreasLindelof]

Hi Hugo😀 I had the same feeling in relation to you when we met briefly through the forum. You have so much wisdom and some of the things you wrote to me has been part of my journey to freedom. Thanks for that! About the Act method, I am planning to go into greater detail about that in the next episode but just as you explain about it all turned into a sleep effort, I have had similar thoughts about the approach so eventually I modified it to my needs. I never did so much of the meditations itself, for me it was more about observing myself in all situations and to learn to befriend my bed again. Reclaiming my life. One thing that really helped me was to set an intention for every night and every day. For the night it was something along the lines of: my intention for tonight is to let myself rest in bed. In daytime it was a lot about allowing the fatigue to be there and try to not be reactive about it, letting the fatigue be there as if it would be normal in a way. I also needed to define my fears. For me it was not the wakefullness itself but rather the feeling of fatigue I needed to befriend. This also connects to the part about values in life and letting the fatigue be there and still connect to your values in life. Like you say if there is the slightest intention of doing something to being able to sleep(escaping the discomfort) it will turn into a sleep effort. Thus the main focus must be to accept it as if it was a permanent illness. This is off course hard but really what its all about. Even though education is important no method in the world can help if we are not ready to let go off the struggle. I have had many experiences with my anxiety ocd and tourette throughout my life that highlights this even more. I will explain more about this! I wish you all the best Hugo❤

[@andreasLindelof]

One more thing about the meditations or exercises. I found that it is vital to set the intention that this will not get me neither calmer nor sleepier, its simply observing what is happening. Also I would like to add that I went much deeper then this approach when I discovered Eckart Tolle. I guess you allready studied his books but If not I would really encourage you to do that. He has a channel on youtube which is amazing😇

[@jakemartin3292]

I would so love to chat with you, Andreas, as I’m experiencing much of what you’re talking about, having had ocd since childhood and also now having the exact same issue of not knowing how to befriend the fatigue.

[@thesleepcoachschool8192]

Hi Jake, he often checks in here so I’m hopeful you’ll see him reply!

[@Rahul69726]

i resonate with Andreas so much, thanks Daniel for inviting him to this podcast, i would love to hear both of you again

[@thesleepcoachschool8192]

So glad to read this Rahul. And yes maybe we will have a third episode!

[@sarahgarbett-lee9217]

This was wonderful! I would love to hear more from Andreas. We can learn so much from him.

[@thesleepcoachschool8192]

Thanks Sarah! He will be back 👍👍

[@DC-hm5qj]

This was an incredibly helpful episode - thank you so much.

[@thesleepcoachschool8192]

So so happy to read this 😊!!

[@hummingpylon]

I have developed insomnia not that long ago and I found out that if ai force myself to sleep and ruminate I make it worse. In fact this is something good because it makes you appreciate sleep more, whereas I tried to fight it and get maximum out of my day because I needed only about 5 min to fall asleep. But things change. Of course you it is all about your unconscious thoughts you have suppressed and don’t want to recognise and insomnia is a sign that something inside you is at odds with you! Then there is the OCD, the best solution against obsession is not to obsess, as silly as it sounds, you have to train your brain to take life easy, accept things.

[@AyeshaKhan-q9s]

So I’ve gone through your teachings but I continuously apply your teachings to get rid of insomnia. Like the end goal is to get rid of it. When I have bad nights, the only thing that comes to my mind is that my brain is damaged and that I won’t ever recover because I’ve followed the teachings from quite sometime. Am I forcing recovery which is making me anxious?

[@thesleepcoachschool8192]

Hi, yes I think that’s spot on. When we do anything to get rid of insomnia, it’s just like trying to get rid of emotions- it amplifies them!

[@Limitlessluckyunique888]

how are you now?

[@sharang747]

I’m So glad your doing PTSD I’m still suffering from it from My ex husbands abusive behaviour so it’s more like current traumatic stress disorder. If he would leave my life would be easier

[@sudharoy1639]

Great stuff. Daniel, do explore nonduality with your clients. Complete liberation from struggle against discomfort. Because the struggler is another thought.

[@thesleepcoachschool8192]

Thanks Sudha! And yes! I talk about in mostly as win-lose thinking but… I don’t go deeper usually. But I do want that, I want to go deeper into this teaching which I believe is amazing

[@khole15]

I get so disheartened by listening to these success stories of people getting cured from insomnia, becase all of them have some anxiety or fear related to sleep. While i dont, and i dont have trouble falling asleep initially, but i awake after 2-4 hours, and after that it is just dreaming and waking up dreaming and waking up constantly. Has lasted for over 20 years now I have tried EVERYTHING, all kinds of medication, therapy, hypnotherapy, reflexology, vitamins, minerals, massage, accupuncture, sleep restriction, sleep diary, diets etc. NOTHING WORKS!!

[@thesleepcoachschool8192]

Hang in there, although you don’t recognize your situation, one thing that is true for sleep whether we are anxious or not is that the more we try, the less we sleep. The type of sleep you describe we call hypersleep and just like full vigilance it comes from hyperarousal. When we know this we can see that trying everything… this can maintain hyper sleep for years, and that when we no longer try, when we befriend hyper sleep… we find ourselves sleeping deeper and easier

[@khole15]

@@thesleepcoachschool8192 but I am not trying any more at all, I have given up for years now. Still the same! Any tips?

[@Limitlessluckyunique888]

​@@khole15how long is your sleep every nighg me i am only 1 hr. i am worried sick

[@rebeccacotton1417]

Hello thank you for this amazing interview. I experienced a stressful situation which resulted in Tinnitus that was very loud and woke me in the middle of the night. Resulting in anxiety and panic attacks and difficulty sleeping. I have a few questions as I worry about staying awake the impact that has on my overall health, I am 51 and sometimes worry if my body will hold up ( i am healthy just on thyroxine) alot of the people you interview seem younger. Also the tinnitus gets louder when i am tired and anxious, i am not sure how i can manage that at the same time. would love to know your thoughts. thank you

[@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. 💙

[@Limitlessluckyunique888]

how long is your maximum sleep now?

[@TheAduos]

Hi, Andreas! Hope you are doing well and sorry for your suffering...I have anxiety during the day, as well as panic attacks that get triggered by an automatic thought like "evening's coming" or "sleep". I mostly have chest tightness and lump, panic happens every single day once the thought pops up. What would you suggest here? The thought keeps coming back as well as panic reaction. I also do struggle...but not with sleep as much as with day anxiety and panic attacks. I started to experience a mental transition from anxious state to a state of real "me" for a couple of minutes, where it feels like a freedom and all this Insomnia looks like a joke, but then my mind drugs me back. I was wondering if this has to do with insomnia itself or is it psychotic? Thank you and take care!

[@idirhadjer4365]

Hi Daniel, unfortunately i live in a country where there is no sleep coach/ sleep physician so im seeking your help. i've been dealing with insomnia for 2 and half year now it's been a rollercoaster some periods i sleep well and others where i don't sleep at all and for the last 2 months i'm having difficulties falling asleep or staying asleep im having a little bit of sleep but i don't feel refreshed at all this last couple of days im having somewhat of consistent sleep im sleeping 4:30 to 5 hours but during the day im feeling physical pain and dizziness i can't move a lot i can't stay standing a lot too and thats making me frustrated and anxious im now in a point where im afraid of the night when night time comes i start feeling anxious and i feel a knot in my stomach i hate being in my room or in my house for that matter i hope you can help me with my situation Ps: sorry for my bad english , english is my 3rd language

[@thesleepcoachschool8192]

Hi Idir, Sorry to hear about what’s been happening but glad you found the channel. And you know, regardless of where in the world we are, there unfortunately aren’t that many who understand and can help. Luckily we have the Internet! Now I would say in this message Idir, there are so many important topics. We have unrefreshing sleep which we talked about in episode 407. We have battle scars that is covered in the episode 346. We have time elements, those are covered among much more in the This is Natto playlist. So I think what can really help is to start learning. Ultimately, education is how we meet fear of the unknown, fear of that which we don’t understand. So yes check these playlists and I think you’ll already see things more clearly. Be in touch snd let us know how things go! This is natto - the perfect place to start learning! kzbin.info/aero/PL6RQ1GS7B1cik8Xr8iVdxmKB9FYieevYj Success stories - if you need hope and inspiration, this is for you. kzbin.info/aero/PL6RQ1GS7B1cj68v9hdoXYv_fpOR65oI3U

[@evatempleton5994]

Please please 😢help me get in touch with your program. I have tried to send emails to your e-address you have on your youtube channel but it doesn’t work.

[@thesleepcoachschool8192]

Oh yes it may be an old one, head over to our website and you will see the new on there.

[@SamuraiPoohBear]

Hey Andreas, Not sure if you already mentioned this but how long did this process take for you? I relate to what you said so much, it really resonates with me.

[@andreasLindelof]

Hi😀 its difficult to say and I think the intention must be not have the timeaspect in focus since that is a part of not accepting the present moment. I know It might not be the answer you were looking for, but I hope you sence what I am after😉 all the best/Andreas

[@rhiannaloft3158]

I suffer all of this I’m a mess 😢

[@thesleepcoachschool8192]

Hang in there Rhianna, hope what you learn here will help. Rooting for you

[@princessjay3526]

Also my head starts hurting and I’m worried I’ve gave my self SFI or fatal insomnia

[@thesleepcoachschool8192]

Hi there, sorry to hear about this fear.. I think the sfi playlist can help..

[@Limitlessluckyunique888]

@@princessjay3526 how are you now?

[@princessjay3526]

I haven’t slept bc of a bad experience with marijuana and now I can’t sleep and when I do it’s only like an hour or 2 and I have vivid dreams, I’ve tried trazadone and it doesn’t help I don’t get a deep sleep and it’s been happening for like a month now

[@thesleepcoachschool8192]

Hi pJ, you know, this is such a common way the struggle starts. Any out of a million things can make us have some sleep disruption, but the only thing that can keep the struggle going is when we start thinking that there’s something wrong and we do things to sleep and to escape the fear of not sleeping… I think if you take a look here things will be more and more clear! This is natto - the perfect place to start learning! kzbin.info/aero/PL6RQ1GS7B1cik8Xr8iVdxmKB9FYieevYj Success stories - if you need hope and inspiration, this is for you. kzbin.info/aero/PL6RQ1GS7B1cj68v9hdoXYv_fpOR65oI3U

[@MM-kq2rt]

How are you now I’m going through the same

[@user-mp9lq3xv5b]

How is your sleeping now ?

[@Limitlessluckyunique888]

how are you now?

[@steveswords9404]

I have same experience for 5 months now. I gave cannabis up & 1 month after insomnia came. Vivid dreams & sweats.

[@larana9051]

Is there any way of contacting Andreas? I'm curious to learn more about his experience with Guy Meadows' app/coaching.

[@andreasLindelof]

Hi Esther! I am here😀 just write questions for me here😇 kind regards Andreas

[@larana9051]

@@andreasLindelof, first of all, thanks for your candor in the interview. Re: the app/coaching, could say more about what you appreciated and what was most helpful (or not)? I read most of Meadows' book and find myself drawn to ACT (rather than a stricter version of CBTi), but I wasn't sure if the app offered anything that you can't get from the book. Also, what specifically has helped you not fear wakefulness?

[@andreasLindelof]

I would say the app gave me a roadmap and also offered a lot of different guided meditations which were very helpful. Be reminded that these meditations are not designed to make you sleep or less anxious but rather get to know your mind and your bodies struggle and by observing it creating a different way of relate to it, thus detaching from it. The aim must be to accept living with insomnia. If your aim is to get free from insomnia there will be sleepeffort. One of the most powerful things is to sit or lay down and really listen to everything inside of you,perform a mind body scan and describing the raw facts about what is happening, its all about not judging something as good or bad but rather as an experience in itself. Also its important to define exactly what your fear consists of and then work on accepting whatever the fear consists of. For me it was not the wakefullness itself but more the fatigue after a sleepless night. Also after starting with Act I started reading eckart tolle and that took my acceptance to a deeper and more solid level. When you detach from your mindmade self you automatically detach from your own suffering. Check out tolles video on youtube about reactivity. I wish you all the best😇

[@dmitriypushkin8895]

Is he talking about being true/sincere to yourself?

[@thesleepcoachschool8192]

Yes, being honest with ourselves

[@garysimone4977]

Stay away pls from psych Dr. You have been warned

[@garysimone4977]

​@@1timbarrettbeyond outdated May I ask how goesvthd sleep I am coming off anbien and that's a whole different e c penitence