"I've Always Been A Bad Sleeper"
I hear this a lot.
While this belief makes sense when sleep has been a struggle, in my experience, the 'bad sleeper' label undermines effective action (often in a sneaky, unconscious way).
Why make an effort? I’m a bad sleeper so nothing's going to work.
It's hard to change the script but here is a small trick to pivot towards a more helpful thought:
The next time the ‘bad sleeper’ thought shows up, tag on ‘yet’.
I’m not a good sleeper…yet. My teenager is not a good sleeper…yet. Nothing has worked…yet.
Just like your teen learned how to walk, talk, and ride a bike when they were younger, they can also learn to sleep better. They just need the right strategies, training, support, and a clear roadmap.
All the Best,
P.S. As an aside, the power of yet works for more than sleep!
I’m not good at math...yet. I can't focus...yet. I don't know how to relax...yet.
Want the roadmap for getting sleep on track? Watch my recent webinar "I'm Exhausted But I Can't Sleep!" here.
Want to read past DECODE Insomnia newsletters? Find them here.
Want to listen to the Find the Eight podcast series? Listen to the Find the Eight episodes here (or anywhere you listen to your podcasts) and download the episode worksheets here.
Want to access the other free tips and resources? Visit the website or Instagram.
NOTE: The content, the webinar, and all linked materials in this newsletter provide general information about sleep and insomnia and are not intended to replace medical advice from a qualified healthcare provider. The provided content should not be relied upon for medical diagnosis or management. Please direct questions or concerns to your physician and/or qualified health care provider.
DECODE Insomnia
2-minute sleep tips for parents of tired, sleepless teens
Last year, I took a podcasting workshop to learn how to put together an audio series for teen sleep. Though I had no intention of creating a traditional interview podcast, one of the assignments was to do a guest interview. So I recruited my friend and colleague Dr. Elyse Dubo, a youth psychiatrist and the mother of three daughters in their teens and early 20s. Her insights have stuck with me and have helped to shape the DECODE Insomnia Program, a new program for teens and their parents that...
Last week, I wrote about waiting for your window, as discussed in a recent podcast interview that I recorded with my colleague Dr. Amy Gajaria. That conversation got me thinking about how often I speak to parents about what they can do when their teen is not interested or not able to make changes for sleep. So I created a new resource: 5 Tips to Help Your Teen Sleep Better (Even If They're Not Ready Yet) This tip sheet gives you 'behind-the-scenes' action steps plus what to do when the window...
On May 31st, I will be releasing the first few episodes of The DECODE Project, a podcast about what really moves the needle on change when change is tricky. You'll hear from parents, youth, and other experts as they share the insights, strategies, and frameworks that you can apply to help your teen sleep better...and to navigate other changes after sleep is on track. In this clip from a recent interview, child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr. Amy Gajaria shares a great piece of advice for...