Lessons Archives - Page 2 of 2

Insomnia and You – Lesson 3

by Dennis Trumpy | Feb 12, 2020 | Lessons

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Recommended: Go To: Lesson 3 Website Contact Dennis: Voice message or text: 408-990-3882 or dennis@sleeptohealthy.com

Lesson Summary:

Definition of chronic insomnia: 3 or more nights per week of poor sleep with significant related daytime complaints for 3 months or more. You might define yours differently.
Short term insomnia is normal.
How you developed insomnia: 1 – Predisposed to having sleep disturbed in your environment. 2 – Event that disturbs your sleep. 3 – Continued bad habits and detrimental thoughts and beliefs about sleep. This causes your insomnia to continue long after the original cause is long gone. Will learn how to cure insomnia.
Causes of insomnia: Psychological (stress, mental disorders, detrimental beliefs), Body (Sleep apnea, medical conditions, pain, alergies, aging), Chemicals (Medications, excess caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, drugs, hormone shifts), environmental (shift work, noise, heat, cold, TV, uncomfortable bed) and unknown causes.
If you or your partner snore, it might be a serious but curable medical condition called sleep apnea and should be checked out.
Your job is to control your causes of insomnia the best you can. Mine is to teach you how to sleep the best you can given your situation.
Measures of sleepiness with sleep test to answer: Do I have insomnia? Epworth sleepiness Scale and Stanford Sleepiness Scale (see links).
Sleepiness and Tired are two different things.
The media greatly exagerates health risks of insomnia. There are no proven health risks to insomnia. It just makes you feel substandard & sleepy, you will be on edge emotionally and you will have to work harder to focus and perform well mentally. So don’t stress about your insomnia too much.
If you want to improve your overall health and longevity, the best thing you can do is excercise.
CBTi or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia is a drug free method but can be used while taking sleep medications or other remedies.

Assignment:

Go through the list of causes of insomnia and see if any might apply to you.
Brainstorm to find ways to mitigate them to the degree possible given your situation. A visit to your family doctor or health professional migth be in order.
Look through your sleep journal and diary to see if you can spot any potential causes of your insomnia..

Links mentioned in the show:

Epworth Sleepiness Scale – American Sleep Apnea Association
Interpretation of Epworth results – Healthline.com
Stanford Sleepiness Scale – Stanford University
Root Causes of Insomnia (pdf)

Sleep and You – Lesson 2

by Dennis Trumpy | Feb 11, 2020 | Lessons

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Recommended: Go To: Lesson 2 Website Contact Dennis: Voice message or text: 408-990-3882 or dennis@sleeptohealthy.com

Summary:

Definition of Sleep: A mental and physical state different than your awake state: Less responsive to stimulus from the environment, thoughts are inward focused rather than focused on the world around you. You want to sleep well.
Sleep is an active state: Memories are reinforced or pruned off, emotions are processed, complex tasks are reinforced, growth hormones are released and toxins are flushed out.
You feel and function better after sleeping well. Do you wonder why I can’t sleep?
Most benefits of sleep are to the brain, not the body. Many things impact your well being and sleep is but one of many factors. Learned sleep facts.
The amount of sleep you need is determined by genetics. Trying to get 8 hrs sleep is like inisting on a size 9 shoe because that is the average shoe size. Judge your sleep by how well you feel and function and how sleepy you are. You need sleep solutions.
Sleep is controled by 2 processes: Sleep pressure that builds up slowly while you are awake and your circadian rhythm which determines your alertness level and controls getting into and out of sleep.
Sleep triggers prepare your brain to switch to sleep: Low light levels, calm thoughts and activities.
Our sleep system has evolved over millions of years and is deeply embedded and is almost impossible to “break”.
Your brain’s prefrontal controls planning and analyzing and can create stressful thoughts that hinder sleep.
There are 4 sleep stages: N1, N2, N3 and REM. Most sleep is N2, deep sleep is N3 and dreaming sleep is REM or Rapid Eye Movement sleep.
It is normal to have many night time awakenings every night. Next: sleep test

Assignment:

Start monitoring your sleep with a sleep journal. Find one you like (see links), print it off and start using it.
Also consider a written journal where you write out your thoughts about sleep. See the example.

Links:

National Sleep Foundation Simple Sleep Log

National Sleep Foundation Complete Sleep Diary

American Academy of Sleep Medicine 2 week Sleep Diary

American Psychological Association Sleep Diary

Example of written journal to record thoughts and ideas about sleep

Hope for the Sleep Deprived Lesson 1

by Dennis Trumpy | Feb 10, 2020 | Lessons

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Recommended: Go To: Lesson 1 Website Contact Dennis: Voice message or text: 408-990-3882 or dennis@sleeptohealthy.com

Summary:

Everything you need to know how to cure your insomnia and simply sleep that nobody is telling you.
Meet the team.
What to expect for the rest of the “Cure Your Insomnia” course and sleep facts.
Lesson Notes:

Lesson Notes:

This course is based on CBTi or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia, the most thoroughly researched, proven and recommended cure for insomnia on the planet.
This course is not a quick fix. It will take courage and perserverance to complete.
Introduction to our seasoned, professional guests: Dr. Daniel Erichsen and Michael Schwartz.
Why CBTi could be considered a miracle cure.

Links: