Coach Alina joins Coach Michelle to answer questions from three members of our community:

Tom is retired and worries that if he gives in to his daytime sleepiness and takes a nap, like many of his friends, this would make his nights even worse.

Joni feels semi conscious most of the night, without going into deeper sleep. She wonders if this has a name and if there's anything to do.

Vanny has tried befriending wakefulness but ends up crying because she feels so lonely. How can she meet this situation?

Sierra from Talking insomnia #46 returns to share profound insights from an unexpected spiritual teacher, Spongebob. We look at three clips in which he becomes scared, tries to avoid what he is afraid of, and finally finds the way to happiness and relief.

Here are the clips we look at:

How insomnia usually introduces itself to us https://youtu.be/H6ujZC26Y2g 

Avoidance making it worse (From around the 1:45-4:00 mark 😂) https://youtu.be/j-G8dGEgdL8 

Acceptance leading to Insomnia running its course (from the start to about the 1:20 mark) https://youtu.be/rsXXHLnhTq0

In this episode we look at one of the most common experiences of the fear of being awake, sleep maintenance insomnia. This episode is divided into part A where we look at how it happens and part B in which we look at how to meet this common situation.

In this episode, Kristen from Talking insomnia #84 joins to answer questions from the community.

Lauren wonders how important micro-sleep in the evening is. Charis is managing sleep 80% of the time but struggles when there's an obligation the following day. Krysten has done well for 2-3 weeks, but is disappointed to find herself having some struggle again. Rahib has been forced to smoke weed and is worried that he has injured his brain.

In this episode we look at a Huffington post article by Terri Cole. Terri shares a story of a hectic struggle to become a successful talent agent and the introspection that a cancer diagnosis leads to.

If you've wondered whether others who've struggled with sleep also have eye discomfort, this episode is for you. We review why it may be that this indeed is a common experience and how knowing this in itself can be so very helpful.

In this episode we answer the common questions: 'Should I ignore my insomnia to sleep better?'. We see how this questions is best answered by looking at how we define 'ignore' and which definition leads us where we want to be.

Shari has found a way out of insomnialand. Christelle is experiencing palpitations and is doing anything she can not to. Elie is scared of having a heart attack because her brain just won't shut off. Katarina has seen things getting easier, but now something new is frightening her - the process of sleep and falling asleep.

It is a powerful and remarkable story that we all can learn much from. When Shaan found himself having a second panic attack, things quickly spiraled. He lost weight, moved in with his parents and quit working to focus on getting well from what he believed was a physical problem.

When and unconvinced ER physician told Shaan (on his birthday!) he could order any test he would like, and they all came back negative, things started to change. Not only does Shaan no longer struggle with anxiety, he has become a mentor who guides others to where he is now.