If you struggle with chronic insomnia, wake up at 3 AM with your mind racing, or feel tired but wired no matter how perfect your sleep hygiene is, this episode is for you. I’m Dr. Laurie Marbas, and on today’s episode of The Habit Healers Podcast, I’m walking you through what the research actually says about why some people can’t sleep, and the surprising first-line treatment that works better than sleeping pills.
Here’s the part most people miss: chronic insomnia usually isn’t a broken sleep drive. It’s a wake system stuck in overdrive, a state researchers call hyperarousal. And many of the things we do to fix it, like napping, sleeping in, and going to bed early, are the exact behaviors that keep insomnia locked in place. I’ll explain the 3P Model of how insomnia develops, the conditions that masquerade as insomnia, including restless legs syndrome, sleep apnea, and circadian rhythm disorders, and why Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is now the gold standard treatment. Then I’ll give you a simple protocol you can start tonight.
What you’ll learn:
Why chronic insomnia is a disorder of hyperarousal, not a lost ability to sleep
The 3P Model: how a few bad nights become chronic insomnia disorder
Red flags for sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and circadian rhythm disorders
How CBT-I and sleep restriction therapy rebuild your natural sleep drive
The Stop Trying Sleep Protocol: the quarter-hour rule, anchor wake time, light exposure, and scheduled worry time
Dr. Marbas Substack Article: https://drlauriemarbas.substack.com/p/why-is-it-that-the-harder-you-try
Check out the Habit Healers Community: https://www.skool.com/habithealers/about
