CBTI—what’s normal?

[Eleanor47]

Hi, everyone. I’m new to this support group. Since I cut back on my SSRI, I’ve started having really severe sleep maintenance insomnia. I think the problem is psychological rather than physical (although my doctor is checking for apnea just in case), and I would love to re-learn to sleep well without meds (which I’ve been taking for years). So for the past 6 weeks, I’ve been trying Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBTI). I haven’t been able to find a provider to work with (though I am seeing a regular therapist, which helps), so I’m doing it on my own using a book and Insomnia Coach (an app developed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs). I have a lot of “is this normal?” type questions, and also, I’m just looking for support and encouragement. I love all the self care and sleep hygiene aspects of CBTI, but of course the hard part is sleep restriction. I did it two weeks on, two weeks off, and now one week on again, and I’m about beat. From what I’ve read, if you can do it consistently, it’s usually very effective, but the challenge is sticking with it! I’m sleeping less than 5 hours per night on average, and I don’t know if I can stand this much longer. I’d love to hear from anyone who’s tried CBTI; what was your experience like?

[Pugglesworth]

I haven't tried CBTI, but I also have sleep maintenance issues. I've had them when stepping down meds and going up on them. It is listed as a side-effect and, according to my doc, quite common. I sleep for about three hours, wake up and have fitful sleep the rest of the night. My body, eventually, wears down and insists on a solid nights sleep. This happens every other week or so.

Some things that help me get a solid nights sleep between those times are: a warm Epsom salt bath, yoga nidra (a sleep inducing exercise), tea with Valerian root before bed and reading a book (an actual book, not an e-book). These aren't cure-alls for me, but they help.

Hang in there. Sleep issues suck, but they do resolve.

[Eleanor47 in reply to Pugglesworth]

Thanks for sharing, Pugglesworth! Wow, exact same pattern for me: three hours solid sleep, then pop! Awake. It's helpful to consider that it might be related to withdrawal from the SSRI, not necessarily something that's inherently wrong with me. Makes me feel less broken.

[Eleanor47 in reply to Pugglesworth]

Pugglesworth, thanks so much for the bath suggestion. I'm not a big bath person, but I decided to give it a try. It's actually really helped me wind down for the past three days, with and without salt, resulting in much better sleep! We'll see if I can sustain the progress for a few more days so I can start increasing my time in bed. I really appreciate your support!!

[Pugglesworth in reply to Eleanor47]

Glad to be of assistance.