Sandra
Cafe owner, 44 from Leeds
Before Sandra came to Sleepstation she was running her own cafe while also juggling life as a mum to two teenage children. Her husband was working away during the week and she sometimes felt like she was living two lives.
Life before Sleepstation
Sandra had been sleeping badly for over a year and she’d noticed changes in her mood, she wasn’t feeling herself. She had begun to find it hard to manage things at home and at work and decided that she needed to tackle the problem.
It was awful, it’s like I was a different person. I lost self-confidence. I felt like I lost brain cells. I couldn’t function.
Getting help
At first, Sandra thought that she might be going through the menopause. So she booked an appointment with her GP to discuss how she was feeling. Her doctor reassured her that it was unlikely that she was approaching menopause and explained that her symptoms could all be explained by lack of sleep. Her doctor prescribed Sleepstation.
At first I was really disappointed at not being treated for the menopause but I started Sleepstation anyway because I needed to tackle the sleep.
When Sandra started Sleepstation, she was taking sleeping pills and still only managing to get three hours’ sleep on average per night. Chronic lack of sleep was taking a toll on her.
Does this sound like you?
After a thorough assessment, the Sleepstation team were able to provide Sandra with a diagnosis of insomnia and get her started with a treatment plan, which included a strict sleep schedule.
Sandra had reservations about the plan at first but, with support and guidance from the Sleepstation team, she was able to implement the plan.
I find staying up later easier now but getting up in the morning surprisingly difficult as I have always thought of myself as an early bird.
Within just three weeks she had doubled the amount of sleep she was getting, increasing her total sleep time by three hours, compared to when she started. Unfortunately, a week before she was due to finish the Sleepstation programme, she burnt her hand badly.
Despite this setback, which kept her awake due to the pain (and the fact she had to sleep with her hand in a bucket of water!), she was able to quickly get things back on track when she’d recovered from the injury. She felt confident in her ability to control her sleep, whatever the circumstances.
This has been brilliant but definitely a rollercoaster of emotion.
Results
After just eight sessions with Sleepstation, Sandra’s sleep had improved and her mood had lifted.
Before Sleepstation
15/27
Very depressed
29%
Abnormal sleep efficiency
2h 50m
Extremely low sleep levels
After eight sessions
0/27
No longer depressed
86%
Normal sleep efficiency
6h 7m
3 hours more sleep
Life after Sleepstation
Months after finishing Sleepstation, her life has improved greatly. She’s using her new found energy and enthusiasm to do some of the things that she felt she was missing out on before. She’s taken up previous hobbies like cross stitch and tapestry, is planning to expand her business and has finally felt able to get a dog!
Since finishing Sleepstation my head’s back in the game! I feel normal again and I’ve got a dog. I’d always wanted a dog but until now I’d never had the motivation and energy to get one.
