Former Insomniac by End Insomnia

Recently, a customer of the End Insomnia Program told me:“Before I joined your program, I thought the End Insomnia System was too hard, so I put it aside for a while. Then, I’ve tried a bunch of things that didn’t work and came back to join the program and finally implement the System.”Now, just several weeks in, they couldn’t be happier with that decision.To people who say, “This is too hard!“, I always respond with:“Do you know what’s really hard? Living with insomnia for years and decades.”And I am saying it from experience: after sitting with insomnia (aka sleep anxiety) for 5 brutal years and after spending $10,000s on so-called “solutions” that didn’t work.Now, let’s address some reasons you might think the system isn’t right for you but where it might indeed be beneficial.—Looking to end insomnia for good in 8 weeks? Get my FREE cheat sheet: The 7 Proven Steps I Used to Beat Insomnia After 5 Years of Hell—Without Pills, CBT-i, or Useless Sleep Hacks

There are 8 distinct phases everyone suffering from insomnia goes through before recovery.Phase 1: Lost & SufferingPhase 2: Finding HopePhase 3: Making Key Behavior ChangesPhase 4: Experiencing Some Anxiety ReductionPhase 5: Feeling Non-AttachmentPhase 6: Consistently Sleeping BetterPhase 7: Building Further Confidence—and Working Through SetbacksPhase 8: Life Beyond Insomnia--Looking to end insomnia for good in 8 weeks? Get my FREE cheat sheet: The 7 Proven Steps I Used to Beat Insomnia After 5 Years of Hell—Without Pills, CBT-i, or Useless Sleep Hacks

Dealing with insomnia can be tough. Whenever you’re ready to end it for good, we can help.When you wake up feeling tired and spend the day exhausted, it’s easy to start avoiding important parts of your life.Here are some common changes and sacrifices people make when struggling with insomnia:Pulling Back from Loved Ones and Social Events: You might start avoiding friends and family because you feel too tired to interact.Avoiding Travel: Traveling can seem too exhausting when you sleep poorly.Cutting Down or Quitting Work: Work can become too overwhelming, leading some to reduce their hours or quit altogether.Ending Romantic Relationships: Maintaining a relationship can feel too challenging, or you might stop looking for one altogether.Moving for Better Sleep: Some people even move homes, hoping a change in environment will help them sleep better.Giving Up Caffeine or Alcohol: You might stop enjoying moderate caffeine or alcohol, fearing it will worsen your sleep.Abandoning Hobbies and Exercise: Activities that used to bring joy or fulfillment might get pushed aside because of constant fatigue.—Looking to end insomnia for good in 8 weeks? Get my FREE cheat sheet: The 7 Proven Steps I Used to Beat Insomnia After 5 Years of Hell—Without Pills, CBT-i, or Useless Sleep Hacks

In the End Insomnia System, the period you set aside for sleep each night is called your “sleep window.”Establishing a consistent sleep window involves three main guidelines:Spend the right amount of time in bed.Get out of bed at approximately the same time every day.Avoid long naps.These practices are crucial for regulating sleep patterns and improving sleep quality.Here’s a brief overview of why each is important and what it does for you:Spending the right amount of time in bed affects your sleep drive.Waking up at the same time every day influences your circadian rhythm.Avoiding long naps preserves your sleep window, impacting both sleep drive and circadian rhythm.Let’s break these down further.—Looking to end insomnia for good in 8 weeks? Get my FREE cheat sheet: The 7 Proven Steps I Used to Beat Insomnia After 5 Years of Hell—Without Pills, CBT-i, or Useless Sleep Hacks

To understand why current insomnia solutions fail, we must acknowledge that insomnia is rooted in anxiety and hyperarousal.To fix insomnia, we often try strategies like sleeping pills, relaxation exercises, and bedtime rituals.However, these don’t work because sleep is a passive biological process that cannot be forced through willpower or external efforts.Forcing sleep can heighten anxiety and reinforce the perception that insomnia is a threat that must be addressed.Here are 10 things you’re probably doing right now to “make” sleep happen.—Looking to end insomnia for good in 8 weeks? Get my FREE cheat sheet: The 7 Proven Steps I Used to Beat Insomnia After 5 Years of Hell—Without Pills, CBT-i, or Useless Sleep Hacks

I spent years suffering from insomnia.Here’s why:First, I spent a lot of time doing nothing about it.Second, once I started doing things to solve it, I tried everything without success (i.e., I was trying the wrong things).Third, and most importantly, I was trying to solve a problem I didn’t understand.What was really maintaining my insomnia?For 9/10 people, that’s the fear of sleep or sleep anxiety.That was the very reason for me, too.That moment led us to develop the End Insomnia System and the program where we help end insomnia for good.—Looking to end insomnia for good in 8 weeks? Get my FREE cheat sheet: The 7 Proven Steps I Used to Beat Insomnia After 5 Years of Hell—Without Pills, CBT-i, or Useless Sleep Hacks

As someone who has successfully treated insomnia after 5 brutal years of suffering, I know it was tempting for me to put the recovery on a timeline.I once even told myself:“I must fix insomnia within the next 3 months or else!”And yes, you guessed it, it didn’t happen within 3 months.And not because it isn’t possible, but because I deliberately put it on a timeline, as if I can control how long it takes.—Looking to end insomnia for good in 8 weeks? Get my FREE cheat sheet: The 7 Proven Steps I Used to Beat Insomnia After 5 Years of Hell—Without Pills, CBT-i, or Useless Sleep Hacks

I recently watched Matthew Walker (presumably the “face” of “sleep” worldwide) on Andrew Huberman’s latest podcast episode.He was talking about how he treats his clients with CBT-i, which got me thinking:Did Matthew ever have hardcore chronic insomnia?I doubt it.—Looking to end insomnia for good in 8 weeks? Get my FREE cheat sheet: The 7 Proven Steps I Used to Beat Insomnia After 5 Years of Hell—Without Pills, CBT-i, or Useless Sleep Hacks

To truly find peace at night, it is important to address not just one aspect of your nighttime routine but your overall anxiety about sleep and its daytime consequences.If you are overly worried about what might happen without sleep, your journey toward accepting wakefulness during the night will be much more challenging.Integrating strategies to accept being awake at night with other techniques that decrease sleep-related anxiety and increase your resilience will gradually train your nervous system to be more conducive to sleep when nighttime comes.—Looking to end insomnia for good in 8 weeks? Get my FREE cheat sheet: The 7 Proven Steps I Used to Beat Insomnia After 5 Years of Hell—Without Pills, CBT-i, or Useless Sleep Hacks

When you find yourself wide awake at night when you’d rather be sleeping, some things can make the problem worse.But there are also things you can do to make it better, both right now and to help you beat not being able to sleep in the long run.Today you will learn three helpful options for responding to unwanted wakefulness at night.None of these options aim to force sleep to happen—that would be a sleep effort.You truly cannot control your sleep on a night-by-night basis.However, using these methods will help you slowly teach your nervous system to be more comfortable sleeping at night.--Looking to end insomnia for good in 8 weeks? Get my FREE cheat sheet: The 7 Proven Steps I Used to Beat Insomnia After 5 Years of Hell—Without Pills, CBT-i, or Useless Sleep Hacks

Ever wondered what to "do" before bedtime?Inside the End Insomnia Program, we recommend some activities to help transition you into a sleep-ready state.--Looking to end insomnia for good in 8 weeks? Get my FREE cheat sheet: The 7 Proven Steps I Used to Beat Insomnia After 5 Years of Hell—Without Pills, CBT-i, or Useless Sleep Hacks

A critical initial step in overcoming insomnia involves increasing the Sleep Starting Force.It has two elements: your sleep drive and circadian rhythm.Today we discuss the "sleep window," a structured approach to managing your sleep time.While the idea of a sleep window might seem familiar, our approach contrasts significantly with other insomnia treatments.Unlike the temporary and often stressful sleep windows used in methods like CBT-i, our sleep window aims for long-term sustainability.The End Insomnia System emphasizes understanding the sleep window as a strategy to strengthen your Sleep Starting Force, not as a Sleep Effort, paving the way for consistent sleep quality.Sticking to this framework is key to helping your body's natural ability for sleep, maximizing its support in your fight against insomnia.To set your sleep window, focus on:The right amount of bed time to fine-tune your sleep drive.Regular wake times to stabilize your circadian rhythm.Avoiding lengthy naps to maintain a focused sleep drive and rhythm.--Looking to end insomnia for good in 8 weeks? Get my FREE cheat sheet: The 7 Proven Steps I Used to Beat Insomnia After 5 Years of Hell—Without Pills, CBT-i, or Useless Sleep Hacks

Why find support fixing your insomnia in the first place?Yes, you can go at it alone.But many find their journey through insomnia is easier, faster, and less lonely with someone in their corner to cheer them on.Having someone you can turn to for encouragement or help you think through what to do next is a huge relief if you’ve been trying to figure everything out on your own.In times of struggle and doubt, the support of others can help you tap into greater hope, determination, and resilience.The journey of overcoming insomnia is easier when you don’t feel alone.--Looking to end insomnia for good in 8 weeks? Get my FREE cheat sheet: The 7 Proven Steps I Used to Beat Insomnia After 5 Years of Hell—Without Pills, CBT-i, or Useless Sleep Hacks

Yes, having insomnia makes life a lot harder.It can easily become a central obsession, but it’s important to recognize that sleep issues are not responsible for every difficulty in your life.--Looking to end insomnia for good in 8 weeks? Get my FREE cheat sheet: The 7 Proven Steps I Used to Beat Insomnia After 5 Years of Hell—Without Pills, CBT-i, or Useless Sleep Hacks

Changing your mindset about insomnia can be a game-changer.Imagine looking at those tough, sleepless nights as golden chances to better your sleep game in the long haul.It's like flipping the script from dread to opportunity.--Looking to end insomnia for good in 8 weeks? Get my FREE cheat sheet: The 7 Proven Steps I Used to Beat Insomnia After 5 Years of Hell—Without Pills, CBT-i, or Useless Sleep Hacks

To end insomnia for good, there are key mindset shifts you need to embrace to leave your "insomniac life" behind. Listen to this episode to learn about 7 mindset shifts to help you get closer to being a "normal" sleeper again.--Looking to end insomnia for good in 8 weeks? Get my FREE cheat sheet: The 7 Proven Steps I Used to Beat Insomnia After 5 Years of Hell—Without Pills, CBT-i, or Useless Sleep Hacks

Waking up tired and dragging yourself through the day, dreading another sleepless night, is tough.It's all too easy to start avoiding the things you love because you're just too wiped out.People often end up making big changes in their lives because of insomnia, like:Stepping back from hanging out with friends and familySkipping out on tripsCutting back on work or throwing in the towel completelyEnding relationships or not even starting oneMoving to a new place, hoping for better sleepSkipping the coffee or the occasional drinkGiving up on hobbies, exercise, or anything that used to make you happyListen to Learn Why It's Key to Dive Back Into Life---Looking to end insomnia for good in 8 weeks? Get my FREE cheat sheet: The 7 Proven Steps I Used to Beat Insomnia After 5 Years of Hell—Without Pills, CBT-i, or Useless Sleep Hacks

Today, I want to discuss how you can transform your nighttime experience from one of restlessness and anxiety to one of calm and acceptance.This isn't about quick fixes; it's about changing your relationship with sleep and how you handle the nights when sleep seems like a distant dream.---Looking to end insomnia for good in 8 weeks? Get my FREE cheat sheet: The 7 Proven Steps I Used to Beat Insomnia After 5 Years of Hell—Without Pills, CBT-i, or Useless Sleep Hacks

You've probably envied someone who can sleep easily:They just hit the pillow, let their thoughts drift, and they're asleep.But if you're struggling with being unable to sleep, it's a different story.Nights can make you more anxious and worried, making it tough to relax and wait for sleep.You might start stressing about not being able to sleep, which makes things worse.So, we will talk about three ways to deal with being awake at night.These ideas are all about helping you switch from feeling anxious to feeling more relaxed, and they make it easier for your body to get into sleep mode.Instead of trying to force sleep, these tips are about being okay with being awake.-Looking to end insomnia for good in 8 weeks? Get my FREE cheat sheet: The 7 Proven Steps I Used to Beat Insomnia After 5 Years of Hell—Without Pills, CBT-i, or Useless Sleep Hacks

Although there is no guarantee that a wind down will help you sleep on any individual night, maintaining a wind-down routine over time helps set the stage for more easeful entry into sleep.It's like easing off the gas pedal after a busy day so you can coast smoothly into sleep.Grab something you love doing just for fun in that hour before you hit the sheets.It could be reading, jamming to some tunes, or just zoning out to your favorite show.Don’t do this wind down with the strict intention of it helping you sleep; do it because you actually enjoy it and find it relaxing.---Looking to end insomnia for good in 8 weeks? Get my FREE cheat sheet: The 7 Proven Steps I Used to Beat Insomnia After 5 Years of Hell—Without Pills, CBT-i, or Useless Sleep Hacks

Have you ever tried really hard to fall asleep and just ended up tossing and turning?I get it; we've all been there.Trying to force sleep is like holding onto a handful of sand – the harder you squeeze, the less you have.It's a tricky thing, sleep.You can't just grab it by the collar and drag it into bed.So, why does sleep seem "hard"?Here's the kicker:The more you chase it, the further it runs away.Remember the Sleep-Starting Force?Your body's natural rhythm and a built-in need for sleep.But sometimes, an equally strong force pushes back, keeping you wide awake.The Sleep-Stopping Force.This includes all the usual suspects: worry, stress, and your brain just not wanting to switch off.Here's how to tip the scales in favor of sleep.---Looking to end insomnia for good in 8 weeks? Get my FREE cheat sheet: The 7 Proven Steps I Used to Beat Insomnia After 5 Years of Hell—Without Pills, CBT-i, or Useless Sleep Hacks

Only two forces control your sleep.The sleep-starting force and the sleep-stopping force.Understanding these will be your first step towards peaceful nights.The Dynamics of SleepImagine sleep as a gentle river guided by two natural forces in your body.These aren't complex scientific concepts but rather simple, everyday workings of your body that manage your sleep.1. The Sleep-Starting Force: Your Body's Natural Sleep ConductorThe sleep-starting force is your body's innate mechanism to bring on sleep.It's like a sleep maestro, conducting two crucial biological systems: your sleep drive and circadian rhythm.2. The Sleep-Stopping Force: The Barrier to Blissful RestNow, what happens when sleep seems like a distant dream?This is where the sleep-stopping force comes into play.Anxiety and Hyperarousal: The Unwanted Guests at NightAnxiety and hyperarousal are like uninvited guests that keep you tossing and turning.In response to stress, your brain triggers a survival mechanism: the fight-or-flight response.--Looking to end insomnia for good in 8 weeks? Get my FREE cheat sheet: The 7 Proven Steps I Used to Beat Insomnia After 5 Years of Hell—Without Pills, CBT-i, or Useless Sleep Hacks

Insomnia, at its core, is rooted in anxiety.It's not a physical condition like heart disease or cancer but rather a psychological one.Recognizing insomnia's psychological basis opens the door to overcoming it through a psychological transformation.Sleep anxiety and hyperarousal contribute to ongoing insomnia.They lead to "Unhelpfuls" like:Unhelpful perceptionsUnhelpful reactionsUnhelpful behaviorsThese factors amplify your sleep issues.-Looking to end insomnia for good in 8 weeks? Get my FREE cheat sheet: The 7 Proven Steps I Used to Beat Insomnia After 5 Years of Hell—Without Pills, CBT-i, or Useless Sleep Hacks

People with insomnia work very hard to not be people with insomnia. By the time someone comes across the End Insomnia System, they generally feel they have tried everything.People with insomnia are exhausted—but they certainly aren’t lazy. The time, effort, and money they have spent are often astonishing.Today, I want to dive deeper into the science of sleep and the various sleep stages so you understand how sleep works.—Looking to end insomnia for good in 8 weeks? Get my FREE cheat sheet: The 7 Proven Steps I Used to Beat Insomnia After 5 Years of Hell—Without Pills, CBT-i, or Useless Sleep Hacks

Today, I wanted to address common concerns people have when following the End Insomnia System, the system I and 100s of others have used to recover from insomnia. But first…The system isn’t for you if you are looking for a “quick fix” to insomnia or if you need sleep apnea treatment.Now let’s talk about some reasons you might think the system is not for you—when, in fact, it really might be.—Looking to end insomnia for good in 8 weeks? Get my FREE cheat sheet: The 7 Proven Steps I Used to Beat Insomnia After 5 Years of Hell—Without Pills, CBT-i, or Useless Sleep Hacks

When we have insomnia, we often try many things to sleep better, spending time, energy, and money on different quick fixes and methods we hear should work. When these methods don't work, it can make us feel hopeless, thinking we might never get rid of insomnia. We might then try even harder to sleep, but this only makes us worry more about our insomnia.Some advice on the internet about how to sleep better (yes, I am looking at you, sleep hygiene) can make things worse for people with ongoing insomnia. Advice like having the perfect bedroom, stopping drinks hours before bed, no alcohol, or avoiding blue light doesn't address the main problem (sleep anxiety), and it can be confusing and disappointing when it doesn't help us sleep better.Sometimes, we think that what we do to try to sleep will make us sleep. But that's not true. —Looking to end insomnia for good in 8 weeks? Get my FREE cheat sheet: The 7 Proven Steps I Used to Beat Insomnia After 5 Years of Hell—Without Pills, CBT-i, or Useless Sleep Hacks

Today, we will discuss things people do before bedtime to “help” them sleep.You might have tried different activities to relax before bed to fall asleep easier.These activities could be taking a bath or shower at a certain time, drinking herbal tea, smelling lavender oil, or using relaxation techniques to calm down.But if you are worried about not being able to sleep well, these activities won't solve the core of the problem, which is sleep anxiety or the fear of sleeplessness.Instead, they might make you think too much and doubt your ability to sleep without doing these special rituals.—Looking to end insomnia for good in 8 weeks? Get my FREE cheat sheet: The 7 Proven Steps I Used to Beat Insomnia After 5 Years of Hell—Without Pills, CBT-i, or Useless Sleep Hacks

When I had insomnia, I used to go to bed early, sleep in late to try to catch up, and also take long naps during the day. I also used to go to bed at a different time each night and wake up whenever I “felt like it”.While these “strategies” offer limited short-term relief, they all interfered with my body’s biological sleep drive and natural circadian rhythm.They ended up sabotaging my potential to sleep easily at night. Another way I was trying to take control of my sleep was through medications, alcohol, or CBD, hoping they would get me back on track.It’s tempting to look for an easy out through substances like cannabis, alcohol, or prescriptions when you’re desperate to calm your nerves and get to sleep. However, these are less than ideal for several reasons. —Looking to end insomnia for good in 8 weeks? Get my FREE cheat sheet: The 7 Proven Steps I Used to Beat Insomnia After 5 Years of Hell—Without Pills, CBT-i, or Useless Sleep Hacks

When we feel trapped, miserable, and desperately want to escape the prospect of having insomnia forever, we often try to take matters into our own hands to make ourselves sleep. When faced with such a frightening and awful experience, the most natural thing is to look for some way to get power over our situation and regain control as soon as possible. And so we make many efforts to try to get ourselves to sleep and not have to endure the hell of insomnia for one more night. —Looking to end insomnia for good in 8 weeks? Get my FREE cheat sheet: The 7 Proven Steps I Used to Beat Insomnia After 5 Years of Hell—Without Pills, CBT-i, or Useless Sleep Hacks

While overcoming insomnia always has ups and downs, I wanted to share the phases that people who use the End Insomnia System, including myself, went through to better sleep so you can see what the recovery journey looks like. We call this the Path to Sleep - there may be times when you go back and forth between phases or might identify with being in multiple phases at the same time:Phase 1: Lost & SufferingPhase 2: Finding HopePhase 3: Making Key Behavior ChangesPhase 4: Experiencing Some Anxiety ReductionPhase 5: Feeling Non-AttachmentPhase 6: Consistently Sleeping BetterPhase 7: Building Further Confidence and Working Through SetbacksPhase 8: Life Beyond Insomnia—Looking to end insomnia for good in 8 weeks? Get my FREE cheat sheet: The 7 Proven Steps I Used to Beat Insomnia After 5 Years of Hell—Without Pills, CBT-i, or Useless Sleep Hacks

Understanding how sleep works can provide a lot of hope and relief because you’ll see that you don’t need to do so much to make sleep happen.You just mainly need to work to reduce the factors that stop sleep from happening.So, how does sleep work? It’s actually pretty simple. There are only two factors that create sleepiness and allow you to fall asleep and stay asleep. Both are biological systems in your body. They are the sleep drive and the circadian rhythm. Together, they make up what we call the Sleep-Starting Force.But what gets in the way of sleeping for people with insomnia? Anxiety and hyperarousal are what get in the way. Together, anxiety and hyperarousal make up what we’ve named the Sleep-Stopping Force.—Looking to end insomnia for good in 8 weeks? Get my FREE cheat sheet: The 7 Proven Steps I Used to Beat Insomnia After 5 Years of Hell—Without Pills, CBT-i, or Useless Sleep Hacks

A good definition of insomnia is “high anxiety and reactivity regarding not sleeping, which in turn inhibits or interrupts normal sleep.”Although insomnia-related distress can be felt in the body, insomnia doesn’t start in the body, it starts in the mind. Insomnia is not a condition the way heart disease or cancer is a condition. This doesn’t mean you’re to blame or that the suffering isn’t real or difficult to bear, and it also does not mean that you’re broken. It just means there is a way out because, unlike certain physical conditions, you can change your mind over time and change the factors that give rise to insomnia.You also can’t lose the ability to sleep, but you can get stuck in a loop where your natural ability to fall asleep and stay asleep is constantly interrupted by a stressed-out mind and nervous system. All this is to say that there is nothing fundamentally wrong with you. —Looking to end insomnia for good in 8 weeks? Get my FREE cheat sheet: The 7 Proven Steps I Used to Beat Insomnia After 5 Years of Hell—Without Pills, CBT-i, or Useless Sleep Hacks

How does insomnia occur?First, you have certain risk factors. Next, there is an event that triggers an initial episode of insomnia.After a stressor passes or a person adjusts to the change, short-term sleep issues usually go away on their own. However, for some, insomnia becomes long-lasting. Why?It ultimately comes down to anxiety and the associated nervous system activation. Hyperarousal is a state of nervous system activation that occurs when you are stressed or are under threat. Conditioned hyperarousal can lead you to wake up in a state of fear during the night, making it hard to re-enter sleep. Perceptions that drive insomnia? Perceptions are the thoughts and beliefs you have about your insomnia and sleep. Reactions that drive insomnia? These include having high reactivity to not sleeping and daytime experiences of fatigue, struggling against difficult emotions or the presence of uncertainty and more. Behaviors that drive insomnia? These are actions that many people with insomnia take that end up undermining their body’s natural ability to feel tired and fall asleep or that end up increasing their fear of not sleeping. —Looking to end insomnia for good in 8 weeks? Get my FREE cheat sheet: The 7 Proven Steps I Used to Beat Insomnia After 5 Years of Hell—Without Pills, CBT-i, or Useless Sleep Hacks

You might hear that you are harming yourself and sabotaging your full human potential unless you sleep eight hours.My worry of not getting 8 hours of sleep would lead to more sleep-related anxiety and sleep difficulty.The problem is that we are bombarded with the same information everywhere:"You must get 8 hours of sleep or else..."37 Million Individuals Were Studied, and No Increased Odds of Mortality Were Found---Looking to end insomnia for good in 8 weeks? Get my FREE cheat sheet: The 7 Proven Steps I Used to Beat Insomnia After 5 Years of Hell—Without Pills, CBT-i, or Useless Sleep Hacks

To get control over the process of getting to sleep and staying asleep, we try all sorts of strategies like supplements, bedtime teas, relaxation rituals, sleep hygiene, pills, and more.We call these Sleep Efforts, and our aim to control our sleep on a night-to-night basis with Sleep Efforts ends up backfiring and making our situation even more frustrating.-Looking to end insomnia for good in 8 weeks? Get my FREE cheat sheet: The 7 Proven Steps I Used to Beat Insomnia After 5 Years of Hell—Without Pills, CBT-i, or Useless Sleep Hacks

The six steps I followed after I suffered for 5 brutal years thinking I was "broken" and something was wrong with me and my body.--Looking to end insomnia for good in 8 weeks? Get my FREE cheat sheet: The 7 Proven Steps I Used to Beat Insomnia After 5 Years of Hell—Without Pills, CBT-i, or Useless Sleep Hacks