my insomnia recovery journey

Hello, I’m Monica, Founder of Insomnia Relief Coach, LLC. I am a Certified Sleep Coach with a Master of Education in Counseling, and I work with thoughtful, caring people who feel exhausted in their bodies, minds, and hearts. Many of my clients are healthcare professionals, teachers, and parents who give endlessly to others. Others are navigating recovery from chronic illness such as Lyme disease or long COVID.

What they all share is burnout, self-pressure, and a longing to feel safe enough to rest again.
Through insomnia coaching, I help them find peace, stability, and a gentle path back to trust in their own ability to sleep.

For years, I lived through relentless insomnia. During two of those years, I was also struggling with Lyme disease, which created a constant state of overwhelm in my nervous system. I was exhausted yet unable to rest. I chased sleep, monitored every sensation, and feared nighttime.

I saw specialists and physicians and followed every piece of advice I was given. Most of it, although well-intentioned, did not touch the fear, pressure, and hyperarousal happening inside me. I felt alone, anxious, and discouraged.

In my determination to heal, I tried everything. Lifestyle changes, supplements, medications, therapy, meditation, essential oils, sleep apps, nighttime routines, and yes, even whale sounds. Nothing brought lasting relief. I kept thinking I was doing something wrong.

Everything changed when I stopped trying to fix sleep and began to understand what was actually happening inside my mind and body. Through insomnia coaching principles, I learned how fear, pressure, and effort were keeping me stuck in the insomnia cycle. Slowly and gently, things began to shift.

When I was at my lowest, I wished someone could simply tell me that I was not broken and that there was a way through. That longing is what inspired me to create my free guide, From Fear to Rest. It is a gift from my own healing and a reminder that peace is possible.

I became a Certified Sleep Coach through a training program developed by Dr. Daniel Erichsen, a sleep physician known for his compassionate, science-informed approach to insomnia recovery.

Today, I draw from several evidence-based areas, including:

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Insomnia (ACT I)
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT I)
• Mindfulness
• Nervous system education
• Emotional safety and lived experience

While I hold a Master of Education in Counseling, I am not a therapist and do not provide therapy or clinical mental health treatment. My role as an insomnia coach is to offer education, support, and a calming presence as you learn to shift your relationship with sleep. If you need mental health treatment, I encourage you to connect with a licensed therapist.

I do not offer strict protocols or rigid sleep rules. Instead, I offer a grounded, supportive space where you can soften fear, understand what keeps insomnia looping, and begin reconnecting with rest even on nights when sleep does not come easily.

I support people who:

• Overthink, self-monitor, or try too hard to sleep
• Feel fear or dread about being awake at night
• Are highly caring and often put themselves last
• Struggle with sleep anxiety or nighttime panic
• Experience hyperarousal or a wired but exhausted body
• Feel emotionally and physically depleted from burnout
• Are navigating complex health journeys including Lyme disease
• Believe they have tried everything and still cannot sleep

Many of my clients are women in midlife facing hormone-related sleep changes, professionals dealing with chronic stress, or sensitive nervous system types who carry a deep emotional load. They are not broken. They are overwhelmed, scared, and exhausted. And they deserve compassion and clarity, not pressure.

If you are struggling with insomnia and feel like nothing has worked, I see you. There is nothing wrong with you. You are not failing. You are right on time for your own healing. With insomnia coaching, you do not have to walk this path alone. I would be honored to support you with warmth, steadiness, and genuine understanding.