I am a licensed therapist, and I have struggled with insomnia for most of my life. When I was in elementary school, I suffered from sleepwalking, had difficulty falling asleep at night, and needed assistance to get out of bed in the morning. Sometimes, my brother had to drag me out of bed literally.

 

My best sleep was during my teenage years and later through my pregnancies.

 

After the birth of my second son, I experienced postpartum depression and a very frightening experience with insomnia. 

 

During perimenopause and menopause, my sleep took a turn for the worse. I consulted numerous specialists and tried several medications, acupuncture, relaxation, and supplements. While they worked for a while, they would suddenly stop being effective, leaving me back at square one. 

 

I bought a few books on CBT-I and, after reading them, said that it would never work for me as my insomnia was much worse than that.

 

I thought something was seriously wrong with my brain, but the MRI showed nothing. Since my brain was fine, I started looking for the real cause of my insomnia. I learned about breathing techniques, had surgery to fix my deviated septum, and found out that I had Moderate Sleep Apnea after a sleep study.

 

I was still "looking for love in the wrong places," as I believed that my insomnia would go away after I tackled these other disorders. I was wrong; my insomnia patiently waited for me in the corner of my bedroom and would creep into my bed when the lights were off.

 

My journey was lonely and very long. If I had known what I know now, I would have found relief earlier.

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Once I became properly trained in CBT-I,  completed consultation, and combined my new-found knowledge with self-compassion, acceptance, and kindness, I made peace with sleep.

 

That is why I want to walk alongside you through your journey, no matter how far along you are in your sleep issues. There is hope.