That moment of crawling into bed after a long, tiring day is one of life’s great pleasures. At least for most people. But if you’re an insomniac, the very thought of bedtime can stir up waves of anxiety and even panic. You’re both exhausted and totally wired.
I know. I’ve struggled with sleeplessness off and on for years. Recently, I had a long stretch of insomnia that lasted for months. I couldn’t fall asleep, or if I did, I’d wake up in the middle of the night, my mind and body suddenly revved up. It was draining and demoralizing, and as the weeks dragged on, I really wondered if I’d ever be able to sleep again without a pill.
I tried everything, including a few extreme measures. Sometimes I got on my exercise bike in the middle of the night, trying to wear myself out. One night I literally wrote my way out of a panic attack. Starting with the question, “What do I want?,” I wrote stream-of-consciousness for 45 minutes until I’d calmed down and was tired enough to fall asleep.
A cognitive behavior therapist suggested some practical tips: cut down on coffee and alcohol, use a meditation app, chop up my sleeping pills into smaller and smaller pieces. It all helped, but what made the biggest difference - or at least I think it did - was acupuncture.
After taking my pulse, my acupuncturist said my internal temperature was “volcanic.” So I had a number of acupuncture sessions and also drank the noxious-tasting herbal tea he recommended. After a few weeks I started feeling calmer. And eventually, I learned to sleep again.
I talk about this experience on this week’s show, "Up All Night," where you will hear more stories about sleep and insomnia.
--Steve