My Story
Welcome
I Know Chronic Insomnia — Because I Lived It
I’m a husband, a father, and a psychology student. For six years, I lived with severe chronic insomnia.
Not occasional bad nights — but long stretches of little to no sleep, constant fear around bedtime, and the exhausting belief that something was fundamentally wrong with me. I sought help everywhere I could: medical professionals, strict sleep hygiene routines, medications, and therapy. Nothing brought lasting relief.
At one point, my condition became so severe that I had to pause my psychology studies entirely. Continuing simply wasn’t possible.
How It Started
My insomnia began during a period of intense stress, when I started a new job that required me to take on two roles at once. The night before my first day, a single thought took hold:
“I must sleep tonight — tomorrow will be very hard.”
That pressure backfired. I didn’t sleep at all.
Although one sleepless night isn’t dangerous, my reaction to it was. Fear took over. The thought became:
“If I don’t sleep again, something is seriously wrong.”
From there, the cycle intensified. Nights became battles. Days were spent exhausted, anxious, and hyper-focused on sleep. What started as stress-related insomnia slowly turned into a self-perpetuating pattern driven by fear, effort, and conditioning.
Years of Searching for Answers
Over the following years, I sought professional help repeatedly. I was prescribed various medications, including SSRIs and benzodiazepines. The SSRIs didn’t help and significantly reduced my quality of life. Benzodiazepines offered temporary relief but led to long-term dependence without solving the underlying problem.
I was eventually diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder — even though my anxiety appeared primarily because I wasn’t sleeping, not the other way around. Therapy often focused on searching for deep psychological causes or questioning my experience altogether. Despite sincere efforts, I never received a clear explanation of what was actually maintaining my insomnia.
Meanwhile, my life slowly narrowed. I left jobs, paused university again, stopped exercising, and withdrew socially. My world became smaller, quieter, and centered almost entirely around sleep.
What Finally Changed
Everything shifted when I discovered CBT-I (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia) — the most well-researched, evidence-based treatment for chronic insomnia.
For the first time, insomnia was explained in a way that made sense. Not as a mysterious disorder or personal failure, but as a learned pattern involving cognition, behavior, and the nervous system.
Recovery wasn’t instant. It involved setbacks, adjustments, and learning how to apply principles flexibly rather than rigidly. But over time, sleep returned — naturally, without medication, and without fear.
Today, I can confidently say that I am free from insomnia.
Why I Do This Work
I’ve since resumed my psychology studies to deepen my understanding of human cognition, behavior, and the mechanisms behind insomnia. My approach integrates cognitive psychology, mindfulness, and specific behavioral changes that are essential for recovery.
I now support others by teaching these principles in a non-clinical coaching framework — helping clients understand what’s keeping insomnia alive and guiding them toward sustainable change.
If you’re stuck in the cycle of fear, effort, and exhaustion, I want you to know this:
You’re not broken. And you don’t have to live like this forever.
