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If you've been dealing with insomnia for years and you're starting to wonder if you'll ever get deep restful sleep again, this episode is for you. 


Carol was barely sleeping. She was mixing melatonin, valerian, Tylenol pm, even NyQuil, just trying to get a few hours. She felt irritable, discouraged and scared by what her body was doing at night, and it wasn't just affecting her, it was affecting the people around her.


 In this episode, you'll hear exactly what was keeping her stuck, what started helping immediately, and what ultimately restored her sleep for good.


00:00 Introduction: Overcoming Chronic Insomnia

01:05 Meet Carol: A Struggle with Sleepless Nights

01:27 Initial Challenges and Frustrations

03:07 Failed Remedies and Realizations

04:23 Discovering the Root Causes

05:20 Implementing Effective Changes

06:56 The Journey to Better Sleep

08:48 Life After Insomnia: A New Beginning

09:36 Final Thoughts and Advice

10:26 Conclusion: Take the Next Step


Episode Transcript


[00:00:00] If you've been dealing with insomnia for years and you're starting to wonder if you'll ever get deep restful sleep again, this episode is for you. Carol was barely sleeping. She was mixing melatonin, valerian, Tylenol pm, even NyQuil, just trying to get a few hours. She felt irritable, discouraged and scared by what her body was doing at night, and it wasn't just affecting her, it was affecting the people around her.


After working with hundreds of people stuck in chronic insomnia, I've seen how this pattern unfolds, especially when high nighttime cortisol and underlying gut and hormone imbalances are driving the problem. But here's what's possible. Carol now falls asleep within minutes. She sleeps solid through the night and she says getting her sleep back changed everything.


Her mood, her energy. Her digestion, her focus her entire life. In this episode, you'll hear exactly what was keeping her stuck, what [00:01:00] started helping immediately, and what ultimately restored her sleep for good.


Martha Lewis: Welcome Carol. Thank you so much for being here today. 


Carol: You're welcome. I'm happy to be here. 


Martha Lewis: Yay. I am so excited. Well, I would love to help others kind of know where you were coming from when you started the program and how you're doing now, and kind of the whole journey between, if that sounds good.


Perfect. Yeah. So what were things like when we first talked, when you came to me. 


Carol: Well, um, I wasn't sleeping or I was barely sleeping. I was starting to get headaches, which is something new for me. And I was also starting to get a little more cranky and irritable. Um, but mostly I think I was just really frustrated and discouraged and I felt like my lack of sleep it wasn't just affecting me, but it was also starting to affect people around me.


And all that just added more stress, which [00:02:00] took a huge toll on my overall health. And when I think back now, I ask myself, why didn't I start the program sooner?


Yes. And I just, I'm, I'm, I'm okay now because I, because I did start it.


Martha Lewis: Yeah. 


Carol: You know, it's like, okay, I didn't do it then, but I did it.


Martha Lewis: Yeah, yeah. Well, you know, you came to me from , a previous client of mine, so, yeah. So I'm guessing you, you kind of waited to pull the trigger. 


Carol: Oh, I waited until I got, um. Pretty, pretty bad. 


Martha Lewis: Okay, gotcha.


Carol: So, I, I hope no one else does what I did, but you know.


Yeah. 


Martha Lewis: Yeah. I think that's common, you know? 'cause we wanna see if, if we can get better on our own and want to, you know, avoid spending the money and taking the time and the effort and so, yeah. So we keep hoping things will get better and then. Eventually realized that they aren't, 


Carol: and then we realized we spent way more money and way more [00:03:00] time than it was necessary.


Martha Lewis: Yes. You're definitely not the first person to say that, so. 


Carol: Oh my gosh. Yeah, 


Martha Lewis: I know. Okay, so what had you tried before? What were you doing during this time? 


Carol: Um, I think a better question for me, which a lot of people listening feel the same is what hadn't I tried? 


Martha Lewis: Hmm. Yes. 


Carol: Um, I tried so many things I couldn't remember what I'd already tried, so I know I was buying things that I had tried months before.


Um, then I started to make combinations of things like five milligrams of melatonin with maybe a little bit of the Lian root and one Tylenol PM and then some Cham tea. But I think it was when I began to add NyQuil into the combination that I knew I had reached a point where I really needed help. Um, and that's what I wanna tell everybody.


Don't wait that long. Don't wait that long. 


Martha Lewis: Yes. So I guess you didn't wanna be on NyQuil [00:04:00] for the rest of your life, 


Carol: NyQuil and everything else, right? Yeah, and the money that I was spending, like I said, trying all these combinations and all these different things and not remembering what I tried, and gave me more stress, which just made everything worse, 


Martha Lewis: right?


Carol: Lost money and took a toll on my health. 


Martha Lewis: Right. Okay. 


Carol: Don't wait. Don't wait. 


Martha Lewis: Yes. Awesome. So what struck you most about what your test results showed that was contributing to your sleep issues? 


Carol: I think it was that I had a high level of cortisol, which one I think back now makes sense. Um, but that's also pretty scary thinking that my body is producing all this stress hormone.


Martha Lewis: Mm-hmm. 


Carol: I mean, like I said, it makes sense. Looking back now, but, but it's scary. 


Martha Lewis: Yeah. 


Carol: So finding that out was really helpful and was a big eye-opening thing for me. 


Martha Lewis: Yeah. And that's super common with people with sleep issues, is that [00:05:00] releasing cortisol, especially at night when we shouldn't be, and it's really trying to protect us.


But yeah, over time it's not good. Like chronically high cortisol is definitely not good for our body, so Yes. Yeah. 


Carol: So just seeing that on the test result was really helpful. 


Martha Lewis: Gotcha. Right. Okay. Yeah. So what changes did you make? What did we, what did we do 


Carol: Well before the test results came in, um, I followed your instructions and I started wearing a sleep mask.


I kept my bedroom cooler. I stopped using screens an hour or more before bed. Stopped eating a few hours before bed. So basically I just followed every, all the advice you gave me and I immediately began to improve with my sleep just with those changes. And that was before the test results came back. 


Martha Lewis: Yes.


That is awesome. 


Carol: Yeah. Yes, it was. It is. 


Martha Lewis: Yes. That doesn't always happen, but, um, I, you know, that's my goal is to, okay, how can I help [00:06:00] people sleep better as fast as possible? And sometimes those changes can make a big difference 


Carol: and just baby steps, you know? 


Martha Lewis: Yeah. 


Carol: While waiting for the test results, it wasn't like I just had to wait for those to do anything.


The little changes that you, advice you gave me started to make a difference. So already I was going in the right direction. 


Martha Lewis: Yes. 


Carol: And that, that calmed me down and helped me. 


Martha Lewis: Oh, good. Yes. That's great. Okay, so what do you think you did that made the biggest difference? I, 


Carol: I, I would have to say getting the hormones and my gut in order and getting the co uh, cortisol levels back to normal.


I think those things made the biggest difference. 


Martha Lewis: Awesome. 


Carol: So having the, having the opportunity to get the testing done and find out where all those things were and then being able to move forward from there, I think that made the biggest difference. 


Martha Lewis: Yeah. Awesome. Okay. And I mean, we kind of already answered this, but how long did it take you to see [00:07:00] improvements?


So, you know, you mentioned that happening kind of right away, and then what was your progression? 'cause it's different for everyone. 


Carol: Yeah. 


Martha Lewis: So I'd like to ask people this. 


Carol: I think it, like I said, it started small, but it headed in the right direction. And I think in the beginning, one of the biggest fears, and this is probably true of a lot of people, is to not take anything, like to go a night without taking something.


When you've been conditioned to do that and you have this fear, you're not gonna sleep. But once I started following just the little suggestions that was calming before going to sleep, I got in a calmer state. Then I started to sleep better right away. Still wasn't a hundred percent where I wanted to be, but was going in the right direction.


Martha Lewis: Yeah. And then as the months went by, 


Carol: oh 


Martha Lewis: how, yeah, what happened 


Carol: better and better and, um, till now it's just, it's amazing. I mean, I go to bed, I maybe read for 10 [00:08:00] minutes and I'm sound asleep and I sleep solid and it's so awesome. Absolutely amazing. It's, it's a miracle. It feels like it's a miracle 


Martha Lewis: Yes.


Carol: When you've gone for years without sleeping. 


Martha Lewis: Yes. Yeah, exactly. I'm, I'm always saying, we'll never take it for granted again. It's like, 


Carol: yeah. You just, you just give up. You just think it's just not gonna happen. 


Martha Lewis: Yeah. 


Carol: So, 


Martha Lewis: yeah. 


Carol: Yeah. 


Martha Lewis: Yeah. I'm grateful every day when I wake up after a good night's sleep, I'm just like, yes.


It, it's just never gonna get old. 


Carol: Yeah. Exactly. Yep. 


Martha Lewis: Whereas before I just took it for granted. I was like, yeah, I slept. Wake up, and here we go. 


Carol: And our youth, 


Martha Lewis: right? 


Carol: Yeah. 


Martha Lewis: Right, exactly. Yes. Yeah. Also, but 


Carol: it can't happen again though. 


Martha Lewis: Yeah. So have you noticed any other changes besides just sleep being better?


Carol: Everything? Um, I think sleep affects everything. Mm-hmm. Energy levels, [00:09:00] digestion, focus, mental wellbeing. Just overall health. Um, it's, it's a game changer. It, it literally is lifesaving in all areas of your life. So I just think when you, when you're well rested, you can handle just about anything, so. Mm-hmm.


Um, yeah. It has affected all of my life. 


Martha Lewis: Yay. 


Carol: That's great. The best way. 


Martha Lewis: Yeah. I'm so glad to hear. 


Carol: Yeah. I'm so thankful. I'm so yes, grateful, thankful I can't say enough. 


Martha Lewis: Right. Awesome. Um, okay, well, is there anything else you'd like to add? 


Carol: Well, just, just my two words. Don't wait. That's like my number one advice for everybody.


Do not wait. You know, it's so your, your sleep is so important and you'll, you'll see that. Once you start sleeping again, you'll realize how much of your life the lack of sleep was affecting. 


Martha Lewis: Yeah, definitely. Well, thank you for sharing that and your story. [00:10:00] Definitely appreciate it and you've been a pleasure to work with.


And you know, I always say too, like you did all the hard work, you made the changes and took supplements and you know, changed habits and that isn't always easy. So Yeah. So you've gotta be open and willing to doing that. And Yeah, and then it works. Which is great 


Carol: Works. It works. Yes. Yeah. Thank you so much, Martha.


Martha Lewis: You're so welcome.


\


Martha Lewis: If you heard Carol's story and thought, that's me, you don't have to keep trying to figure this out alone. There is a reason your sleep isn't working and when you address the root cause, your body can sleep again. If you're ready for a clear plan and personalized support, apply for the Complete Sleep Solution Program at the link in the description when you fix your sleep.


Everything changes, and if you want to learn more about the three step process I use to help my clients with their sleep, you can watch the next video, the Three [00:11:00] Step Sleep Fix for adults over 40.

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