If your brain turns into a 3 a.m. drama queen, doing math on how many hours you won’t sleep, predicting how awful tomorrow will be, and spiraling about “what if I can’t fall asleep?”, this episode is for you.

In Part 3 of our Sleep Series, we go beyond sleep hygiene and talk about chronic insomnia as a mind-body pattern: a nervous system stuck in “danger” mode, even when you’re lying in bed, lights off, doing everything right. Sandy breaks down how neuroplasticity, the amygdala, and the vagus nerve all play a role in sleep anxiety, hyperarousal, and that lovely performance pressure that shows up the second your head hits the pillow.

We unpack how:

• Chronic insomnia is learned, not a character flaw and how the brain wires “bed = danger.”
• Catastrophizing and forecasting (“If I don’t sleep, I’ll ruin tomorrow”) quietly fuel the insomnia loop.
• Mindfulness and cognitive diffusion help you see thoughts as thoughts, not prophecies.
• Paradoxical intention (trying to stay awake on purpose) can lower sleep performance anxiety.
• Somatic tools like progressive muscle relaxation, yoga nidra, guided imagery, autogenic training, gentle movement, and breathwork (including 4-7-8 and box breathing) send the body a clear “you’re safe” signal.
• Vagus nerve activation helps shift you from fight-or-flight into rest-and-digest so sleep can actually happen.

Sandy also shares five practical, try-it-tonight steps to start resetting your mind-body sleep loop, like reframing just one catastrophic thought, using paradoxical intention, doing a 2–3 minute breathing practice, and giving yourself permission to rest even if you’re not asleep.

We also revisit sleep apnea and the mind-body connection: why obstructive sleep apnea still needs real medical evaluation (hi, ResMed 11 👋), but how stress and nervous system overdrive can make apnea episodes worse, and where mind-body tools may support medical treatment, not replace it.

If you’ve ever felt broken, “bad at sleep,” or stuck in the No-Sleep Olympics, this episode is your reminder: you’re not alone, you’re not broken, and your brain can absolutely learn a new pattern. We’re rewiring our brains right alongside you.

👉 Connect with us:

• Instagram: @thehealthhunt_podcast
• Email: info@thehealthhunt.com
• Fullscript supplement store (including our beloved magnesium):
• Resmed

Share this episode with someone who’s tired of being tired and ready to try something different than just “more sleep hacks.”