Best He interviews others who overcame struggle Podcasts (2024)

Listen to the podcast episode (audio only) Emily’s insomnia struggle began around four months after the birth of her baby. Even though her daughter was sleeping well, Emily was finding it really difficult to fall asleep. She started to get nervous and anxious as her level of exhaustion intensified. When the medication prescribed by her doctor didn’…

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How Kirstin rediscovered her natural ability to sleep after feeling completely dependent on sleeping pills (#59) 1:10:01

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Listen to the podcast episode (audio only) Kirstin began using medication every now and then to help her sleep on Sunday nights. When she faced a big personal challenge that made sleep more difficult, she started to use it more often. The plan was to take a small dose to get her through that difficult period and then stop the medication because she…

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12. The 1996 Olympics 31:34

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11. Restructuring after Crisis 32:46

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How Summer let go of trying to control her sleep, her thoughts, and her feelings — and regained control over her life (#58) 1:08:41

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Listen to the podcast episode (audio only) When Summer experienced consecutive nights of insomnia, sleep started to consume her life. She started taking time off work and she began endlessly researching sleep. Summer felt that if she could get rid of anxiety and stress things would improve — but this led to even more of a struggle as Summer went to…

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10. The Holy Father 33:32

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9-Service and Community 33:30

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How Nina overcame insomnia by embracing wakefulness and dropping the struggle (#57) 1:03:48

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Listen to the podcast episode (audio only) Nina typically dealt with occasional periods of sleep disruption by taking some form of over-the-counter medication. When she fell pregnant this was no longer an option. Work stress seemed to make sleep more difficult and so Nina stopped taking on work. Her sleep would improve but every time she started wo…

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8-Sports Catering 30:52

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How Kreuza dealt with insomnia and somniphobia by practicing more acceptance and less resistance (#56) 1:07:06

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Listen to the podcast episode (audio only) In this episode, Kreuza shares her journey through the challenging landscape of insomnia and somniphobia — a fear of sleep. Initially, she found Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) techniques helpful. However, when sleep problems returned as somniphobia, the same techniques faltered. Feeling …

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7. Sowing Seeds—An Extraordinary Life 32:06

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6 Campaigning for Office 31:07

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How Rachel got out of the insomnia struggle by being more flexible, more accepting, and more present (#55) 53:58

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Rachel’s struggle with insomnia started in grad school. She tried everything from sleep aids to strict bedtime rules and routines to improve her sleep, but nothing worked. The harder she tried to fix her sleep and get rid of sleep-related anxiety, the more difficult things became. The turning point came when Rachel changed her approach. She stopped…

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5-Family Business 33:29

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4 Pizza and Ice Cream 32:29

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3 People and Politics 31:21

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2—Maysville and Gratitude 36:00

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1 Jerry—An Extraordinary Life 34:20

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How Jessica broke free from insomnia by letting go and accepting it without judgement (#54) 1:02:16

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Listen to the podcast episode (audio only) Jessica’s journey with insomnia began on a family vacation when she suddenly found it really hard to sleep. When she got home, her sleep recovered — until it was time to travel again. This pattern repeated itself, with sleep getting more difficult each time she traveled until insomnia stuck around even aft…

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How Eric got his life back from insomnia by focusing on what he can control (#53) 1:06:19

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Listen to the podcast episode (audio only) Eric’s insomnia journey began after he woke in the middle of the night and experienced a huge panic attack. From then on, sleep became very difficult. As he tried to fix things, Eric stopped watching TV in bed with his wife — something they both enjoyed. He tried napping, even though he never used to nap i…

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How Gerry used mindfulness and self-kindness to move away from an endless struggle with insomnia (#52) 59:30

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Listen to the podcast episode (audio only) Gerry struggled with sleep for decades. The more he struggled, the more effort he put into sleep and the more effort he put into sleep, the more he struggled. Eventually, Gerry realized that trying to make sleep happen was only making things even more difficult. With this realization, Gerry changed his app…

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How Anne-Claire moved away from the insomnia struggle by practicing new habits and being more willing to experience insomnia (#51) 1:07:00

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Listen to the podcast episode (audio only) As a business owner, Anne-Claire began overextending herself and her sleep started to suffer. She reduced her workload and experimented with supplements and medication but her sleep seemed to get even worse. After deciding that she didn’t want to continue using medication, Anne-Claire began to explore whet…

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How Jessy separated herself from her thoughts, moved away from medication, and transformed her relationship with sleep (#50) 1:07:37

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Jessy experienced sleep disruption due to the stress of COVID and the breakup of her community. Initially, she found it difficult to fall asleep. Then she started waking during the night and found it hard to get back to sleep.As her sleep got progressively worse, Jessy started to feel scared and worried that she was losing control of her life. She …

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How Maria faced the fear of insomnia by allowing it to exist and discovered that all its power came from how she responded to it (#49) 1:03:00

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After experiencing anxiety and panic attacks and not sleeping for 72 hours, Maria thought she had lost the ability to sleep. Medication wasn't working. She withdrew from life. She couldn't focus on anything other than sleep.Feeling completely stuck, Maria changed her approach. Instead of trying to fight or avoid insomnia, she allowed it to show up …

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How Leah freed herself from the insomnia struggle by abandoning her efforts to control sleep (#48) 1:05:37

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Leah experienced insomnia from her teenage years. As an adult it would often come and go, until it came and didn't go! This made it difficult for Leah to live the life she wanted to live. To do the things that mattered to her. Sleeping pills didn't help, and she felt stuck. So, Leah decided to change her approach. She realized that canceling plans …

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How Amanda reclaimed her life from insomnia and abandoned all the rules and rituals that were making things more difficult (#47) 1:12:43

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Amanda's insomnia was triggered by a number of stressors — having a baby, relocating, getting a new job, and dealing with a toxic parent. She tried several sleep aids and implemented a number of sleep rules and rituals but found no real relief until she explored a different approach.She started to acknowledge and accept her thoughts and feelings in…

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How Eddie got through the ups and downs of insomnia by implementing a plan that stopped it from controlling his life (#46) 1:05:00

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For more than a decade, Eddie struggled with sleep. He had good nights and bad nights, and just when he thought his sleep was back on track, it would slip away again. The harder it became to sleep, the more he struggled, and the less he did the things he loved.Eddie's transformation started when he stopped trying to force sleep and began developing…

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How Jeannette got back on track after an insomnia relapse and how ongoing practice helped her move away from ongoing struggle (#45) 1:04:40

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Jeannette's sleep improved after working with me but one night she couldn't fall back to sleep and her old fears returned. She felt like something was wrong with her as this continued, night after night. This led Jeannette back into her old safety behaviors, even though she knew they weren't helpful. In this episode, Jeannette shares how she moved …

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How Eric changed the way he responded to insomnia, stopped battling with his mind, and improved his sleep for the long term (#44) 51:02

1+ y ago51:02

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Eric, like many people with chronic insomnia, discovered that trying to fall asleep only made it harder. Although he had no trouble falling asleep, he woke up frequently at night and struggled to drift off again due to racing thoughts and anxiety. Eric was fixated on sleeping and despite trying everything, he couldn't seem to relax or improve.After…

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How Vicky changed her approach to insomnia when sleeping pills stopped working after 20 years (#43) 59:06

2y ago59:06

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Vicky used to manage her insomnia by taking sleeping pills for 20 years, until one night when they stopped working. This left her feeling alone and anxious, and she started to experience panic attacks when waking up in the middle of the night. To tackle this, Vicky adopted a new approach to insomnia that involved letting go of the struggle. She rea…

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How Jim stopped chasing after sleep and put over 10 years of insomnia behind him (#42) 54:59

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Jim dealt with insomnia for a decade, initially thinking it was due to heavy drinking, poor diet, late work hours, and high stress. However, his insomnia persisted even after resolving these issues, leading to years of sleep disruption, fear, frustration, and anxiety.In this episode, Jim discusses the changes he made to overcome his insomnia. Ultim…

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How Nick stopped his mind (and sleep) from controlling his life by letting go of the struggle with his mind (and sleep) (#41) 1:09:02

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Nick started experiencing insomnia in 2000 when he relocated and began a new job. His life was consumed with stress, anxiety, and uncertainty, and he found that trying to avoid or fight his thoughts only made them stronger. Nick felt helpless and didn't know how to improve his sleep or manage his difficult thoughts and emotions.In this episode, Nic…

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How Adam released himself from the prison cell he had built to protect him from insomnia (#40) 1:04:27

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Adam's struggle with insomnia began the night before an important work presentation. A difficult night led to him calling in sick and planted a seed in his mind that difficult nights would interfere with important plans.To feel better in the short-term, Adam used safety behaviors like canceling plans or avoiding activities to protect his sleep. How…

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How Juergen improved his sleep by becoming more willing to experience wakefulness and difficult thoughts, feelings, and emotions (#39) 1:01:09

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As Juergen grew older, his sleep patterns started to change, which is a normal part of aging. However, at the time he didn't realize this. As he began to pay more attention to his sleep, the COVID pandemic hit, increasing his work stress, and shutting down all the places he enjoyed going to. Juergen started to feel as if insomnia and the difficult …

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How Kristina dealt with anxiety, worry, and stress as her insomnia shifted from difficulty staying asleep to difficulty falling asleep (#38) 1:06:44

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Kristina had a demanding job that caused a lot of stress. One night, her husband woke her up after having a nightmare, triggering a release of anxiety that had been building up for some time. This made it difficult for her to fall back to sleep, which only caused more worry and anxiety in the following nights.At first, Kristina could fall asleep bu…

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How Deeandra reclaimed her life from insomnia and got her sleep back on track without medication (#37) 1:06:48

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Deeandra used to sleep well until a stressful time in her life caused her to go without sleep for 48 hours, causing anxiety. She worried that she had lost the ability to sleep and tried different medications, but they didn't work well and had side effects. For three years, Deeandra tried different rituals and experiments to sleep better, putting he…

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How Wayne improved his sleep by thinking of sleep as a friend that doesn’t need to be controlled (#36) 1:01:47

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Wayne's battle with insomnia began during his board exam preparations when he tried to adjust his sleep schedule to wake up earlier. Unfortunately, this caused difficulty in falling asleep and led to sleep-related anxiety, making his nights stressful. To combat this, Wayne tried implementing sleep hygiene rituals and experimenting with sleep supple…

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Training New Team Members 29:25

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How Felicity transformed her relationship with sleep by practicing new sleep habits, being kinder to herself, and living life independently of sleep (#35) 1:10:38

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Felicity had been grappling with sleep issues intermittently throughout her life. Normally, her sleep would recover after a few months of disruption, but then it didn't. In an attempt to regain control of her sleep, Felicity delved into extensive research on sleep, gave up coffee, experimented with medication and supplements, and even resorted to s…

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Prison Professors Charitable Corporation 0:55

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How Amy went from an intense fear of insomnia and feeling her situation was hopeless to averaging over seven hours of sleep each night (#34) 59:06

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Amy felt trapped in a life of insomnia, as night after night of wakefulness pushed her into a dark place with no escape. She felt helpless and hopeless until she became friends with someone else who was struggling with insomnia. Amy learned about the behavioral changes that were helping her friend sleep better.At first, Amy was skeptical that these…

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How Jennifer moved past 18 years of insomnia by exploring her sleep-related beliefs and recognizing her own insomnia in the stories of others (#33) 50:15

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Jennifer struggled with sleep for 18 years, starting when she weaned her firstborn from breastfeeding. After falling pregnant again, things got better, but when it was time to wean her second child, the cycle of poor sleep returned. As the mother of five children, Jennifer was anxious about sleep when she decided she was done having kids.Jennifer l…

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How Jovana put insomnia behind her by recognizing that her insomnia wasn’t unique and that sleep is a natural process that cannot be controlled (#32) 1:07:29

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Jovana's insomnia began in 2019, leaving her anxious and stressed. As a new mom, her anxiety worsened and she dreaded going to bed. Discovering the Insomnia Coach YouTube channel and podcast made her feel less isolated and she realized her experience wasn't unique or unusual.Jovana stopped her extensive research and experimentation with supplements…

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How Cindy tackled the insomnia that appeared after her baby was born by accepting nighttime wakefulness and eliminating safety behaviors (#31) 59:01

3y ago59:01

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After her daughter's birth, Cindy developed postpartum depression and was given medication to help her sleep. The medication initially helped, but soon failed, causing anxiety and worsening sleep problems. She attempted to eliminate every possible factor contributing to her insomnia but to no avail. She came to the realization that her efforts to o…

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How Jake got his sleep back on track by changing his nighttime behaviors and his daytime behaviors (#30) 1:07:29

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When COVID hit, Jake's sleep schedule was severely disrupted as he was forced to work from home. He found himself working beyond the usual nine-to-five, answering calls and texts at all hours of the day, and even taking his computer to bed. Work encroached into his weekends and before long, he lost any semblance of a sleep schedule. When he went on…

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How Celia improved her sleep by abandoning all attempts to control her sleep and accepting and acknowledging anxious thoughts rather than trying to fight or avoid them (#29) 1:08:57

3y ago1:08:57

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Celia struggled with her sleep from a young age and relied on medication to manage her frequent insomnia. With the birth of her son and the COVID pandemic, her sleep crutches failed, causing her to become more obsessed with sleep. She researched evidence-based techniques to tackle her sleep disruption, but they were challenging to implement.Despite…

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How Chad improved his sleep by undoing all the changes he had made in response to his insomnia (#28) 57:03

3y ago57:03

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Chad went through a period of sleeplessness due to work-related stress, but eventually, his sleep began to recover. However, one night of complete insomnia caused him to spiral into anxiety and more sleeplessness. As a result, he became fixated on sleeping well and made several changes such as going to bed earlier and withdrawing from activities he…

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How Pat got rid of her insomnia by embracing a philosophy of “fake it until you make it” and accepting anxious thoughts (#27) 1:04:27

3+ y ago1:04:27

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Pat, like everyone else, had some difficult nights occasionally, but she always got back on track with her sleep. However, during the summer, her neighbors began throwing loud parties that disturbed her sleep.As a result, Pat began to fear falling asleep and became fixated on her sleep quality, cancelling plans and rearranging her life around it. H…

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