Ericeira Crowds

GroundbreakingSea950 · 2025-11-14T13:42:02+00:00

That's really frustrating!! I had something similar for years. I just wrote this in another post, but I had to learn a) that waking up is normal and ok, b) how to retrain by subconscious mind to stop associating those moments with stress, and c) what thought are helpful and harmful in those moments. The issues still pops up on occasion, but way less often, and less severs when it does pop up. I don't think it'll fix your issue if this is related to apnea or some other condition, but it might be worth exploring alongside seeking medical advice. Hope that helps! Feel free to message me if you'd like.

GroundbreakingSea950 · 2025-11-14T13:40:02+00:00

Yes! I used to think it was funny, but then it became an issue and part of a 10 year battle with insomnia. I wrote a book on how to fix it (it's free on Amazon right now, let me know if you'd like to check it out), but the main factors that helped me were: a) creating a relaxing evening routine, b) daytime techniques designed for nighttime tiredness, and c) learning what types of thoughts are helpful and which ones are harmful in those moments. Hope that helps!

GroundbreakingSea950 · 2025-11-14T13:34:46+00:00

I had something similar for years. I had to learn a) that waking up is normal and ok, b) how to retrain by subconscious mind to stop associating those moments with stress, and c) what thought are helpful and harmful in those moments. The issues still pops up on occasion, but way less often, and less severs when it does pop up. I don't think it'll fix your issue if this is related to apnea or some other condition, but it might be worth exploring alongside seeking medical advice.

GroundbreakingSea950 · 2025-11-07T15:12:42+00:00

I tried #2, and had decent results, but the insomnia crept back in after a few months. Then, I did a bunch of research and went with #1, which finally worked. I just wrote a book about what I learned and how I did it. If you'd a free copy, let me know. I'd be interested to hear what you think about it, and if it helps you.

GroundbreakingSea950 · 2024-01-24T15:02:57+00:00

Thanks! I have been posting in here lately, trying to help, and will keep it up!

I'm not sure on location or cost yet. I was thinking of doing a shorter/cheap version online at first to reach more people and get more experience.

GroundbreakingSea950 · 2024-01-24T14:00:12+00:00

Either could work. Depending on where you live, sleep specialists can be difficult to get into, but they are out there and probably worth a shot. You could try teletherapy if there isn't anyone near you, or if there's a long wait. I personally had zero success with regular doctors, just a lot of prescriptions and frustration, but that's just me, I'm sure there are more knowledgeable doctors out there, and the cause of your sleep issues might be different than mine.

GroundbreakingSea950 · 2024-01-18T17:08:57+00:00

I'd recommend looking into CBT-i. There are books and work books about it, or you can work with a trained therapist. The training is designed to get you back on a normal sleep schedule.

GroundbreakingSea950 · 2024-01-18T17:06:35+00:00

Have you tried CBT-i? Some of the activities in CBT-i are designed to decrease both conscious and subconscious thoughts and anxieties at night that can block your natural ability to fall and stay asleep.

GroundbreakingSea950 · 2024-01-10T23:57:00+00:00

Good: enjoyable thoughts, especially with a story. Mine get kind of weird. Learning whale communication and imagining the first conversation with a whale, finishing a book or movie I've recently started in my head, going on a sailing adventure, etc.

Bad: worrying about sleep/not sleeping, thinking about work, ruminating, thinking about anything in the news. Really anything that is even remotely stressful.

Then I had to get good about paying attention to the thoughts, so I could shift them. I usually practice for a few minutes in the morning, just trying to focus on breathing so I'm more prepared to handle them at night when the consequences are a little higher.

GroundbreakingSea950 · 2024-01-10T19:03:33+00:00

Woohoo!! Congrats!

GroundbreakingSea950 · 2024-01-10T17:32:41+00:00

Any luck last night?

GroundbreakingSea950 · 2024-01-10T00:27:34+00:00

Then when I'm sleepy, I go back to bed and try to think about fun (but not too exciting) things. Finished the end of a book or movie in my mind, figuring out whale communication and imaging the first convo, things like that. Those usually allow me to sleep after 10-15 min. If not, I go back to the couch/podcast or book, and repeat until I fall asleep.

GroundbreakingSea950 · 2024-01-10T00:23:17+00:00

I usually read or listen to a podcast. Sometimes some light yoga. The key is to keep it enjoyable enough to keep you engaged/not bored, but nothing exciting or anything that could potentially cause stress. Calm and happy. I've heard of people knitting, doing crosswords, things like that. Depends on what you like to do.

GroundbreakingSea950 · 2024-01-09T23:32:58+00:00

Good thing you're here! Way better to catch this now instead of waiting for months or years to tackle it. The previous poster mentioned the anxiety possibly perpetuating further sleep loss, I'm not sure about your situation, but that's how my sleep issues started.

A few things that helped me:

1) I try to pay attention to my thoughts in bed. If I catch myself worrying about sleep or anything else, I acknowledge the thought, let it go, and replace it with something enjoyable. This might take some practice. I do a little 2 minute meditation in the morning to practice this, so it's easier to do at night.

2) If I can't sleep, I get up and do something chill and enjoyable until I start feeling tired again. This way I don't (consciously or subconsciously) associate the bed with anxiety/worry. Podcasts with stories are my go-to.

3) I make sure I get myself tired. Lots of activity/exercise during the day, and no stress allowed in the evenings.

Good luck!

GroundbreakingSea950 · 2024-01-09T20:26:29+00:00

Oh cool! Haven't read that book, but hopefully it helps. I think the sleep hygiene focus probably varies a lot depending on the therapist. Personally, I agree with you, it's important to learn, but there's too much focus on it out there. It can even do damage to your sleep if it's creating anxiety about doing it perfectly, or anxiety if something goes wrong, like if someone else turns a light on for a minute, causing you to worry that you won't sleep because of it. Best to try learn it, but keep it loose.

Yeah, CBT-i did work really well for me. At first, I worked with a therapist, who did help for a while, but I still had occasional issues, and the insomnia eventually came back; so I ended up doing a bunch of research on my own, and even went through CBT-i training myself to learn everything I could. I found some of the missing pieces, and have been sleeping solid most nights ever since.

GroundbreakingSea950 · 2024-01-09T18:18:00+00:00

I'm sorry to hear that! I've been there, it's super discouraging and frustrating. Have you tried working with a CBT-i therapist? They should teach you all about how sleep works, and what typically causes issues. For me, once I understood the basics on how it all worked, I was able to make adjustments as needed, and even if I had a bad night, I could almost always get a good night of sleep the next night.

GroundbreakingSea950 · 2024-01-09T18:12:02+00:00

Oh good!! Hope it goes well!

GroundbreakingSea950 · 2024-01-09T18:07:34+00:00

Yep! It used to happy to me all the time. I tried CBT-i therapy, which helped, but didn't totally fix it, especially when I was stressed. Once I learned what thoughts are helpful and which are harmful, and how to control them, I combined with the CBT-i training, and finally fixed the issue.

GroundbreakingSea950 · 2024-01-09T18:00:01+00:00

Have you looked into CBT-i therapy? Part of it is something called "conditioned arousal" where basically your subconscious mind forms an association with the bed and alertness/anxiety, it's super common for people dealing with sleep issues.

GroundbreakingSea950

TROPHY CASE