The Sleep Coach School Podcast

In this episode of Insomnia Insight, Coach Daniel explores 7 common habits that can unintentionally keep insomnia going — and how changing these patterns can make sleep feel easier and more natural again. From constantly researching sleep problems to tracking sleep data obsessively, these habits often come from a genuine desire to feel safe, reassured, and in control. But paradoxically, they can i...

Turning the Insomnia Anniversary Upside Down In this Mining the Comments episode, Daniel explores a surprisingly common experience in insomnia recovery: the “insomnia anniversary.” For some, the anniversary of when insomnia began can trigger fear that the struggle may return — even after months of sleeping well. For others, reaching the one-year mark while still struggling can create discouragemen...

If you’ve ever heard someone say they recovered from insomnia after they “stopped caring about sleep,” this video explains what that REALLY means. Because the truth is: nobody completely stops caring about sleep. In this episode of Insomnia Insight, we explore: Why sleep pressure keeps insomnia going The difference between caring and attachment Why acceptance is NOT giving up How the meaning you g...

How does insomnia actually end? In this episode of Insomnia Insight, we explore a powerful and often overlooked truth: while many people can pinpoint the exact moment their insomnia started, almost no one can say exactly when it ended. So what does that tell us? Daniel (sleep physician turned sleep coach) shares three key insights from working with thousands of people who have overcome insomnia: ...

Henry shares his powerful journey from the Dominican Republic to Switzerland, where the pressure of a new job and supporting two families led to a "bomb about to explode" moment of zero sleep. After trying "everything humanly possible"—from singing bowls and gongs to fasting and trips to India—Henry finally found the turning point when he stopped the constant "fix-its" and approached the issue the...

Struggling with sleep and starting to worry about your memory? If you’ve noticed yourself forgetting simple words, needing to reread things multiple times, or even blanking on past events — you’re not alone. In this episode, we dive into the connection between insomnia and memory, and why it can feel like your brain just isn’t working the way it used to. If you're ready to leave insomnia for good,...

Are you trapped in a cycle of "I must" or "I must not"? When we struggle with sleep, we often create a mental prison built on strict rules: I must take a pill, I must avoid coffee, I must not go out. Ironically, these very rules create the high-stakes environment that keeps us awake. In this video, Coach Daniel (Sleep Physician turned Sleep Coach) breaks down why "low stakes" are the ultimate key...

In this powerful episode of Talking Insomnia, Tony shares his deeply personal journey through grief, anxiety, and severe sleep disruption. After the sudden loss of his wife and becoming a single parent, Tony found himself struggling with insomnia for the first time in his life. What began as understandable sleep disruption quickly turned into anxiety-driven sleeplessness—filled with fear, frustrat...

Should you stay in bed? Get up? Try to calm your mind? This episode explores why trying to control sleep—or even trying to calm anxiety—can actually make things worse, and what to do instead. If you're ready to leave insomnia for good, check out our coaching options. Head over to www.thesleepcoachschool.com and click on GET SLEEP in the menu. If you're ready to leave insomnia for good, check out o...

In this episode of Heard Online, we dive into a fascinating article from The New Scientist by Helen Thompson. We explore the "propaganda" surrounding the 8-hour sleep rule and look at groundbreaking research that suggests how you think you slept is actually more important for your performance and mood than how many hours you actually slept. If you're ready to leave insomnia for good, check out our...

Can you become a mom if you’re struggling with insomnia? This episode kicks off a new mini-series on “Momsomnia” with honest, reassuring answers. Drawing from her own experience with insomnia before, during, and after pregnancy, she tackles the biggest fears many women face—fertility, caring for a baby, and whether sleep will get worse. Her message is simple but powerful: your body is resilient, a...

Can months of barely sleeping damage your brain? That’s the question Coach Daniel is revisiting—and his updated answer might surprise you. In this episode, Daniel corrects a previous take and explains why extreme long-term sleep deprivation (like 0–2 hours a night for months) doesn’t actually happen the way it feels during insomnia. More importantly, he shares a more helpful perspective: sleep alw...

Yogi shares his powerful journey of overcoming chronic insomnia and sleep anxiety. As a web designer working a stressful, success-driven job, Yogi's struggles began following a series of unfortunate events, including a near-death experience and health scares. What started as waking up consistently at 3:00 AM quickly spiraled into intense anxiety and physical symptoms like nausea and headaches. Aft...

Is acceptance the only way to handle sleep anxiety, or is it okay to distract yourself? In this Insomnia Insight episode, Daniel (Sleep Physician turned Coach) explains why Acceptance vs. Distraction is a false choice. Through a listener’s email, we dive into why both are perfectly compatible when used as forms of "non-doing." Learn how shifting your intent from escaping anxiety to simply engaging...

In this powerful episode, Daniel welcomes Brittany, a mother of five who experienced a harrowing descent into postpartum insomnia. Brittany shares her journey from the "dark night" of failed medical regimens and "whopper doses" to discovering a life-changing perspective through The Sleep Coach School. The turning point? A realization that she could harvest her strawberries—and her life—even while...

Have you been concerned that hormonal changes are causing your insomnia? Maybe you're going through perimenopause. Maybe your sleep worsens during your cycle. Maybe you're thinking about testosterone levels. If that’s you, here is the most important thing to understand: Hormonal insomnia is real. But it is not caused by hormones. Hormones can disrupt sleep. But they cannot create the ongoing, self...

Is sleep deprivation really the same as being drunk? You may have heard claims online saying that not getting enough sleep can impair you just like alcohol. But is this actually supported by science? In this episode of Heard Online, sleep physician turned Sleep Coach Daniel investigates the research behind these headlines. We take a closer look at several studies often used to support this claim a...

Adrenaline Surges Jolting You Awake? How to Free Yourself Have you ever been jolted awake by a sudden rush of warmth, heart palpitations, a pounding in your head, or a sudden sense of alarm? If so, you’ve been experiencing what we call insomnia adrenaline surges. In this episode of Insomnia Insights, we are diving deep into the science and psychology behind these rushes. This is the resource you n...

We are joined by Victoria, a member of our community and the Immunity program, who shares her powerful journey of overcoming chronic insomnia. Victoria’s struggle began unexpectedly in September, leading her down a difficult path of relying on medications like Z-Quil, Trazodone, and Ambien, only to find they eventually stopped working and left her in a "rabbit hole" of worry and side effects. She...

Adrenaline Surges Jolting You Awake? How to Free Yourself Have you ever been jolted awake by a sudden rush of warmth, heart palpitations, a pounding in your head, or a sudden sense of alarm? If so, you’ve been experiencing what we call insomnia adrenaline surges. In this episode of Insomnia Insights, we are diving deep into the science and psychology behind these rushes. This is the resource you n...

In this Mining the Comments episode, we explore how intrusive insomnia thoughts fade away. Why do “what if I don’t sleep?” thoughts feel so powerful? How do they become part of the insomnia loop? And how does full recovery actually happen? We cover: The insomnia motor The OCD motor Why fighting thoughts keeps them alive A real recovery story from the comments If you're ready to leave insomnia for...

💤 The 2-1-2 Insomnia Sleep Pattern Explained Have you noticed a repeating rhythm in your sleep? • 2 good nights → 1 choppy night • 2 bad nights → 1 better night • 1 good → 1 bad (the “pendulum pattern”) • Or some other frustrating cycle that keeps repeating In this episode of Insomnia Insight, Coach Daniel explains why these patterns happen, what keeps them going, and how to return to regular, pe...

We are joined by Candace, a mother of three and former "super napper" who shares her sudden journey into insomnia and her eventual path to recovery. For years, Candace prided herself on her ability to sleep anywhere and catch up on rest with micro-naps, even while working night shifts and raising three children. However, a trip for her sister-in-law's wedding weekend acted as a "quick trigger" for...

Have you stopped taking a sleeping pill — and now feel like your natural sleep drive is gone? Whether you were taking a benzodiazepine, a Z-drug, or another medication for sleep, it can be alarming to stop and suddenly feel wide awake… night after night. If you’re new here and curious to learn more, our FREE video course, The Festival of Understanding, is the perfect place to start. Head over to h...

In this episode, Coach Daniel explores a very common but misunderstood insomnia pattern: sleep fragmentation — waking up multiple times during the night and struggling to fall back asleep. Many people believe healthy sleep means sleeping straight through for 7–8 uninterrupted hours. But objective sleep studies show that all adults wake up multiple times per hour — we’re just not always aware of it...