How I Cured My Insomnia

Stress Therapy with Cheri Flake: Meditation & Stress Relief for Real Life

Transcribed

How I Cured My Insomnia

Oct 15, 2026 · 29m 2s

Description

Hey beautiful people. Last week I just threw it out there: if you’re tired, go to sleep. And I know for some of you that landed like a joke, because...

Hey beautiful people. Last week I just threw it out there: if you’re tired, go to sleep. And I know for some of you that landed like a joke, because going to sleep is the whole problem. I get it. I was a chronic insomniac for years. Years. And it’s gone now. Completely cured. So today it’s sleep hygiene day on Stress Therapy, and I’m giving you the old faithfuls you’ve heard a million times, plus the stuff that actually worked for me and for my clients, which is not what everybody else is saying. Key Takeaways

You can’t force sleep. Outside of anesthesia, nothing puts you to sleep. Pills create an environment for it, but the more you chase it, the further it goes.
Your bed is for sleep and sex. That’s it. No TV, no phone, no meditating in it either.
When you wake up at 3 a.m., do not talk to yourself about it. Get out of your head and into your body. Once you get riled up and release cortisol, you’ve got about 90 minutes before it clears, and that’s your hour and a half of staring at the ceiling.

Episode Highlights

The old faithfuls you’ve heard forever and quietly stopped doing: napping, working out too late, eating right before bed
Why 68 degrees is the number, and what happens when it gets menopausal in your room
My eye cover obsession, and why the one the airline hands you is not getting the job done
Beditation, and why I almost never meditate in my own bed
Why alcohol has you wide awake and spiraling at 3 a.m., and why morning is technically the best time to drink it
How to move your bedtime without a fight: 20 minutes at a time over three to five days
The old iPod trick that cured my insomnia, with nothing on it but books, music and binaural beats
Why a pad of paper and a pen beside your bed beats reaching for your phone
Why you need to stop calling it my insomnia, and start talking about yourself like a good sleeper
A short nervous system reset you can do lying right there in bed

Mentions and References

Binaural beats apps: Brainwave for Apple, Brain Waves or Atmosphere for Android
My favorite eye covers, including the Bluetooth ones with the timer
My friend Ann Dupree, who teaches resilience, on why your prefrontal cortex is the wrong part of your brain to be chatting with at 3 a.m.
Libby, Kindle, Apple Books and Spotify, the only apps allowed on the little iPod
Magnesium, which I think is one of the most important supplements we can take. Melatonin I save for jet lag. Ask your doctor.
My Tom Petty Full Moon Fever t-shirt, because we’re not having night sweats around here

Try This Week
Pick one thing from the list and change it tonight. Turn the thermostat down. Put a pad of paper and a pen next to the bed and leave your phone in another room. Buy the paper book. And when you wake up in the middle of the night, don’t look at the clock and don’t do the math. Come into your body instead. How does your arm feel against the pillowcase? How does your knee feel under the sheets. That’s the whole trick, and it works. Connect With Me
Instagram: @thestresstherapist
Twitter: @stresstherapy
Meditation and yoga retreats and other offerings: ilovetherapy.com
Live in Georgia and ready to work together? Visit the website to set up a free face-to-face consultation.
Join my mailer so you don’t miss a thing. Edited and produced by Owen Flake

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Author	New Reality TV Network
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Tags	#anxiety #bedtime #binauralbeats #calm #cortisol #habits #insomnia #meditation #mentalhealth #mindfulness #nervoussystem #nighttime #relaxation #rest #routine #selfcare #sleep #sleephygiene #stress #wellness