How Juergen improved his sleep by becoming more willing to experience wakefulness and difficult thoughts, feelings, and emotions (#39‪)‬ Insomnia Coach® Podcast

Listen to the podcast episode (audio only)







As Juergen got older, his sleep began to change. Although this is normal, Juergen didn't know that at the time! And, just as he began to pay more attention to sleep, COVID hit, work stress increased, and all the places he used to enjoy going to got shut down.



Juergen felt as though insomnia and all the difficult thoughts and feelings that come with it were starting to control his life. He felt as though he was losing himself and getting pulled away from the kind of life he wanted to live. This was when we started working together.



Ultimately, Juergen became more willing to experience nighttime wakefulness. He became more accepting of the difficult thoughts and feelings that would show up. Juergen discovered that as long as he didn't try to battle with all the stuff that was out of his control he could free up all that energy to do things that would help him live the kind of life he wanted to live instead. The skills Juergen learned and repeatedly practiced also helped when tinnitus returned after a long absence.



Today, Juergen can notice when he's getting distracted by his thoughts and feelings and is better able to disengage autopilot, bring himself back to the present moment, and refocus attention onto the actions he can control — actions that help him be the kind of person he wants to be and help him live the kind of life he wants to live, even in the presence of difficult thoughts and feelings and even after difficult nights.



As a result, all the difficult stuff that is out of his control now has far less of an influence over his life — and he is also sleeping a lot better!



Click here for a full transcript of this episode.



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:

Hello, Juergen. Thank you so much for taking some time out of your day to come onto the podcast.



Juergen Kuhmann:

Yeah, sure. Thank you for having me and for inviting me. Can't believe I'm on your podcast after having viewed so many of them when I was in the middle of it. Thank you very much.



Martin Reed:

Oh, absolutely. You're not the first person to say that. Feels like a journey where you just go full circle, right? You listen and then eventually you know you've made it when you come onto the podcast yourself.



Juergen Kuhmann:

Maybe that's the circle. Not of life!



Martin Reed:

Yeah, exactly. Well, let's start right at the beginning. When did your sleep problems first begin? And what do you think caused those initial sleep issues?



Juergen Kuhmann:

I think it was a combination of things. I think, first of all I didn't even realize how sleep would change when I get older. So at that time I was close to 50, and in the onset to it, I was starting to think about my sleep more becau...