50 episodes

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. In this podcast, I share insomnia success stories featuring people who ended their struggle with insomnia. New episodes are released monthly.

Insomnia Coach® Podcast Martin Reed, MEd, CHES®, CCSH

    • Health & Fitness
    • 4.5 • 67 Ratings

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. In this podcast, I share insomnia success stories featuring people who ended their struggle with insomnia. New episodes are released monthly.

    How Kreuza dealt with insomnia and somniphobia by practicing more acceptance and less resistance (#56)

    How Kreuza dealt with insomnia and somniphobia by practicing more acceptance and less resistance (#56)

    Kreuza shares her journey through the challenging landscape of insomnia and somniphobia, a fear of sleep. Initially, she found Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) techniques helpful. However, when sleep problems returned as somniphobia, the same techniques faltered. Feeling isolated in her struggle, Kreuza realized that implementing rules around sleep were not helping her.



    A turning point came when she embraced a more flexible, compassionate approach to sleep. She began to practice accepting her thoughts and feelings without resistance. She practiced being kind to herself when things felt really difficult. And she engaged in activities that mattered to her, even after difficult nights.



    Kreuza’s story is a testament to the possibility and power of patient and kind practice of acceptance as a way to deal with deep-seated fears. It also highlights that moving past sleep struggles is often a journey of ongoing action and practice — and setbacks — rather than quick fixes.

    • 1 hr 7 min
    How Rachel got out of the insomnia struggle by being more flexible, more accepting, and more present (#55)

    How Rachel got out of the insomnia struggle by being more flexible, more accepting, and more present (#55)

    Rachel's struggle with insomnia started in grad school. She tried everything from sleep aids to strict bedtime rules and routines to improve her sleep, but nothing worked. The harder she tried to fix her sleep and get rid of sleep-related anxiety, the more difficult things became.



    The turning point came when Rachel changed her approach. She stopped focusing on trying to create the perfect conditions for sleep and she stopped trying to control her thoughts and feelings.



    She started being kinder to herself. She practiced making space for difficult thoughts and feelings and she practiced building skill in bringing herself back to the present moment and being more aware of the present whenever her mind started to time travel.



    Rachel's story is a powerful example of how changing our approach to sleep and our response to insomnia can lead not only to significant improvements in our sleep, but also our overall quality of life.



    Click here for a full transcript of this episode.



    Transcript



    Martin: 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: 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: Okay. Rachel, thank you so much for taking the time to come onto the podcast.



    Rachel: Yeah. Thank you so much for having me, Martin.



    Martin: It's great to have you on. Let's just start right at the beginning without any further ado. Um, can you tell us a little bit about when your sleep problems first began and if there are any clues as to what may have caused those initial issues with sleep.



    Rachel: Yeah, um, well, my first like where my mind first goes is. To my back to my first year of grad school, um, where like, at least one night a week, I felt it felt like I wasn't sleeping at all. Um, and I would get really anxious about sleep, but I think that that was partly like being in grad school and feeling stressed about grad school.



    Rachel: Um, and also, like, I had a shift shift. That ended late and so like the process of of unwinding and then having to be at work early the next day. Um, and the feeling would be anxiety about sleeping like, yes, there were things in my life that were stressing me out, but I think it was like the anxiety would be I'm anxious that I won't be able to sleep.



    Rachel: Um, and that that was well, that was long before. Before I reached out to you. But that, I think, is like the, I'm sure the sleep difficulties go back further than that, but that was like the first moment I can sort of remember.



    Martin: Yeah, and roughly how long ago was that when you, uh, that kind of grad school period of your life?



    Rachel: That was almost ten years ago.



    Martin: And so what was your sleep like at that time? You mentioned there was a lot of anxiety about, is sleep going to happen? What's sleep going to be like? What's that going to mean if I have difficult nights or all those kind of thoughts? I think lots of people listening to this are going to id...

    • 53 min
    How Jessica broke free from insomnia by letting go and accepting it without judgement (#54)

    How Jessica broke free from insomnia by letting go and accepting it without judgement (#54)

    Jessica's struggle with insomnia began on a family trip, and it worsened each time she traveled until it stuck around, even at home. No matter what she tried, her nights were filled with anxiety and struggle.



    Jessica found that her resistance to insomnia and the difficult thoughts and feelings that often come with it were making things even more difficult. So, she changed her approach. She practiced accepting insomnia and anxiety. She learned to be kinder to herself.



    With ongoing practice, Jessica freed herself from an ongoing struggle and reclaimed her life from insomnia.

    • 1 hr 2 min
    How Eric got his life back from insomnia by focusing on what he can control (#53)

    How Eric got his life back from insomnia by focusing on what he can control (#53)

    Listen to the podcast episode (audio only)





    Eric's insomnia journey began after he woke in the middle of the night and experienced a huge panic attack. From then on, sleep became very difficult.



    As he tried to fix things, Eric stopped watching TV in bed with his wife — something they both enjoyed. He tried napping, even though he never used to nap in the past. He tried sleeping on the couch. He tried sleeping in a chair. He tried blue-light-blocking glasses. He stopped traveling. He isolated himself as he became convinced that his struggles were reflected in his appearance. He would beat himself up every time he had a difficult night.



    Eric's transformation began when he shifted his focus away from trying to control his sleep, his thoughts, and his feelings and redirected his efforts toward his actions.



    He started to do more of the things that mattered — even after difficult nights and even in the presence of difficult thoughts and feelings. He started to accept the presence of anxiety as a necessary ingredient for a rich and meaningful life. Eric found that the more he did this, the less power and influence sleep and anxiety seemed to have over his life.



    Eric was never into meditating but he started to practice meditation — not in an attempt to make sleep happen or to control his thoughts and feelings — but to practice and develop skill in making space for his thoughts rather than trying to fight or avoid them. He also gave himself permission to do something else during the night when he was awake, rather than tossing and turning.



    Today, sleep doesn't consume Eric's attention. His focus now is on controlling his actions and doing things that matter rather than trying to control his sleep and what he might be thinking or feeling. As a result, insomnia no longer holds Eric back. By practicing a new approach, Eric got his life back from insomnia.



    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:

    Okay, Eric, thank you for taking the time out of your day to come on to the podcast.



    Eric Flanders:

    Absolutely. Glad to be here with you.



    Martin Reed:

    Let's start right at the beginning. If you could just tell us a little bit about when your issues with sleep first began and what you think may have caused those initial issues with sleep.



    Eric Flanders:

    Yeah, that's a great question about what caused them because I think if I would have known that it would have helped out a lot, but I really struggled with that answer as to why. I know a couple of years ago. I had a couple of instances over the course of a year where I just was struggling.



    Eric Flanders:

    Like I would go two or three days and just not sleeping much at all. And it didn't really bother me too much at the time.

    • 1 hr 6 min
    How Gerry used mindfulness and self-kindness to move away from an endless struggle with insomnia (#52)

    How Gerry used mindfulness and self-kindness to move away from an endless struggle with insomnia (#52)

    Listen to the podcast episode (audio only)







    Gerry struggled with sleep for decades. The more he struggled, the more effort he put into sleep and the more effort he put into sleep, the more he struggled. Eventually, Gerry realized that trying to make sleep happen was only making things even more difficult.



    With this realization, Gerry changed his approach. Instead of trying to force sleep, he practiced being kinder to himself when insomnia showed up. He practiced experiencing wakefulness and all the difficult thoughts and feelings that can come with it with less struggle by being more of an observer of those things rather than an opponent of them.



    Gerry also practiced mindfulness to help build skill in being more present when insomnia and all the difficult stuff that comes with it tried to sweep him away.



    Today, Gerry is not only sleeping better but — because he is less tangled up in an ongoing struggle — he is enjoying an improved quality of life. Sleep has become a natural part of his daily routine, rather than a challenge to overcome.



    Click here for a full transcript of this episode.



    Transcript



    Martin:

    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:

    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:

    Okay, so Gerry, thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to come onto the podcast.



    Gerry:

    You're welcome. Glad to be here.



    Martin:

    It's great to have you on. Let's just start right at the beginning. If you can just tell us a little bit more about when your issues with sleep first began and what you think might have caused those initial issues with sleep.



    Gerry:

    Well, it started when I was 27. I was in my, was it first year? No, second year of law school, and the year before was the first time that trying as hard as I could and not succeeding happened. In other words, I tried really hard, but law school, there's a lot of really smart people in law school and my grades weren't that great, and it seems to, in retrospect, have taken about a year to sink in to the point where the insomnia started kicking in. What I'm getting at is that I really started wondering if I was going to make it. No. No, I'm sorry, it actually started the beginning of third year when... Yeah. Yeah, I was actually almost barely on probation for academics, and so I thought, "Oh my God, I could get kicked out. I could fail at this." And it just really rocked my world.



    I grew up thinking that I had to produce to be worth keeping around, and when I saw myself not producing, I really wondered where that was going to be going. I was reminded often when I was growing up that you better toe the line or there could be really some serious consequences. I was threatened to be kicked out of the house and whatnot, so things really started to... I really felt like my world was starting to fall apart. I caution people though when I'm talking on the Inso...

    • 59 min
    How Anne-Claire moved away from the insomnia struggle by practicing new habits and being more willing to experience insomnia (#51)

    How Anne-Claire moved away from the insomnia struggle by practicing new habits and being more willing to experience insomnia (#51)

    Listen to the podcast episode (audio only)







    As a business owner, Anne-Claire began overextending herself and her sleep started to suffer. She reduced her workload and experimented with supplements and medication but her sleep seemed to get even worse.



    After deciding that she didn't want to continue using medication, Anne-Claire began to explore whether changing her approach to sleep and her response to insomnia might be helpful.



    Like most people, Anne-Claire had tried to fight or avoid the difficult thoughts and feelings that come with insomnia — and this got her tangled up in more of a struggle with them. In a change of approach, Anne-Claire began making space for them to exist. She would greet and welcome her thoughts (even the difficult ones). She practiced being more of an observer of them, rather than an opponent of them.



    As she did that she realized that many of the thoughts her mind generated didn't match her own experience. This helped her realize that there was no need to battle with her mind — that her mind will generate all kinds of thoughts and feelings, some of which might be true, some of which might not be true. Some of which might be helpful and some of which might not be helpful.



    As she started to implement and practice new habits, Anne-Claire also realized that the more effort she put into sleep, the more difficult it became. She found that by maintaining a consistent out of bed time in the morning, regardless of how she slept, she was better able to do things that mattered and she was more likely to experience better sleep on subsequent nights.



    She also discovered that comparing her sleep to anyone else's or trying to achieve a certain amount or type of sleep was not helpful and was likely to pull her back into a struggle.



    Today, Anne-Claire no longer struggles with sleep. Thanks to her willingness to experience insomnia, sleep has — once again — become effortless.



    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:

    Okay. Anne-Claire, thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to come onto the podcast.



    Anne-Claire France:

    My pleasure. My pleasure. Very much.



    Martin Reed:

    Can you tell us a little bit more about when your sleep problems first began and what you think might have caused those initial issues with sleep?



    Anne-Claire France:

    I think they began right around 2015, and I think the primary cause was, I'm kind of an overachiever. And I run my own business and I overextended myself and had way too much going on. And so I, in order to be able to meet my standards of what I wanted to do for my clients, I was doing a lot of long nighters, all-nighters, all that kind of stuff. And I'm an analytical type of person,

    • 1 hr 7 min

Customer Reviews

4.5 out of 5
67 Ratings

67 Ratings

Suzannah Troy ,

dedicated to eradicating insomnia

podcast is dedicated to eradicating, insomnia, and I like this new interview talking about kind of building a foundation like he might build a house, but Martin points out. Yeah, there could be an earthquake…yes....for me trauma violated at a doctors office in New York City, and instead of apology more crimes, more piece of power, etc.

WPKsleep ,

Best pod on sleep I’ve found

I’ve been listening to this pod for years and it’s made a huge difference in how I approach sleep. I can’t recommend this enough. Thank you, Martin!

mrsvermeer ,

It really works!

Martin Reed changed my life! I was miserable and insomnia was ruining my life. I was sure I needed sleeping pills but my doctor recommended therapy first. I love podcasts so found Martin through searching Apple podcasts. CBT-I WORKS! Its hard but because of the testimonies I heard I didn’t give up. So amazing! Thank you Martin!

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