#228 - The Insomnia Dojo: You Bet Your Life There's Gonna Be A Fight

What if treating insomnia were less like fixing a medical problem and more like earning a black belt in karate? Welcome to the Insomnia Dojo, a six-belt journey from the frightened white belt who desperately wants to control sleep to the enlightened black belt who realizes that sleep never needed controlling in the first place. Along the way, we'll draw inspiration from Bruce Lee, Mr. Miyagi, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and even Pai Mei from Kill Bill. Wax on, wax off, Grasshopper. Your insomnia training begins now. In this episode we will: Explore the six belts of insomnia treatment, from white to black, and what each represents. Define the fundamental lessons of sleep science that every insomnia student must master. Examine how sleep hygiene, medications, audiobooks, and relaxation techniques can help patients while sometimes creating new dependencies. Discuss why confidence, flexibility, and resilience are more important than achieving perfect sleep. Review the role of CBT-I, acceptance, and cognitive strategies in progressing toward insomnia mastery. Reveal the ultimate secret of the insomnia black belt: sometimes the greatest mastery comes from letting go of control entirely. To find out more about this week's podcast sponsor Sleep Reset, please use the following link: http://thesleepreset.com/podcast Original intro music Vigilanteology by Abhinav Singh (copyright 2026) Original outro music Vigilanteology (reprise) by Abhinav Singh (copyright 2026) Produced by: Maeve Winter Music by: Dr. Abhinav Singh (@sleep_vigilante), all rights reserved More Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!