Uncle Bob Can Babysit

A 38 year old male with lifelong chronic insomnia came to my office for acupuncture. 

“I’ve never been able to fall asleep until I’m totally exhausted and even then I usually wake up after an hour or so if there’s even the slightest noise.  I can't sleep at all in the same bed as anyone else.  I’ve tried all the drugs. They work for a day or two and then after that they simply just stop working.  It’s weird. I get about 4 hours of sleep according to my Fit-Bit but it takes me 8-9 hours to do it.  I usually catch a nap between 3 and 4.  I’ve kind of adapted but I feel pretty foggy in the afternoons and that’s getting worse. I’m worried my job performance is declining.”

 
One of the questions I always ask new patients is when they first experienced  a profound loss.  Jack’s answer took me by surprise.  “You know,” he said “I can’t really remember my childhood at all.  I mean, I know how to read and do math and all but I don’t remember grade school at all.  It’s like my life began in junior high.”  It turned out that was when he and his parents moved to the west coast.