Breaking Free from Lifelong Insomnia: How Tapping Can Help When Nothing Else Has

I recently received this heartbreaking message from Carolyn that I wanted to share with you:

“I need help desperately. I can not sleep. I am 62yo white female and have suffered since I was 7 yo with insomnia. It has almost ruined my life. I have tried therapy, doctors, prescribed Meds, yoga, neuro feedback but nothing has helped… I suffer from a lot but I believe if I can sleep longer than 1-2 fragmented hours, I would be able to cope better with my problems.”

My heart goes out to you, Carolyn. The desperation in your words is palpable, and I want you to know that I hear you. Having suffered from insomnia since you were just 7 years old — that’s 55 years of sleep deprivation — is truly a heroic battle you’ve been fighting.

First, I want to acknowledge something important, Carolyn: the fact that you’ve tried so many approaches over the years — from medical interventions to therapy to mind-body practices — speaks volumes about your determination and resilience. Many people would have given up long ago, but you’re still searching for solutions. That persistence is remarkable.

And your insight that better sleep would help you cope with your other challenges shows profound self-awareness. Sleep is indeed foundational to our wellbeing — it affects everything from our immune function to our emotional regulation to our cognitive abilities.

When Conventional Approaches Fall Short

It’s particularly frustrating when you’ve “done everything right” and still can’t find relief. You’ve consulted doctors, tried medications, explored therapy, practiced yoga, even tried neurofeedback — a comprehensive approach that many wouldn’t have the persistence to pursue. Yet the insomnia remains.

This pattern is one I’ve seen countless times: when a problem has persisted for decades and resisted conventional treatments, there’s often something deeper at play — something that standard approaches simply aren’t designed to address.

In the case of long-term insomnia, what I’ve discovered through working with thousands of people is that sleep difficulties that begin in childhood and persist throughout life often have roots in the nervous system that go beyond the typical factors that disturb sleep.

The Sleep-Safety Connection

“Sleep requires a profound level of safety. Think about it — sleep is a state of complete vulnerability.”

Here’s something fascinating about sleep that isn’t discussed often enough: sleep requires a profound level of safety. Think about it — sleep is a state of complete vulnerability. Your conscious mind takes a back seat, your awareness of your surroundings disappears, and you’re essentially helpless for hours.

From an evolutionary perspective, sleep is only possible when your nervous system feels deeply safe. Our ancestors wouldn’t have survived if they’d fallen asleep while predators were nearby or threats were present.

What does this mean for chronic insomnia? Often, at some deep level, your nervous system has decided that it’s not safe to sleep.

This “sleep isn’t safe” programming can originate from many sources:

• Childhood experiences where something frightening happened while you were sleeping
• Trauma that occurred at any point in life that made vulnerability feel dangerous
• A highly sensitive nervous system that perceives normal nighttime sounds or sensations as potential threats
• Early experiences where staying vigilant (not sleeping) was adaptive
• A nervous system that associates sleep with loss of control

The crucial insight here is that this programming operates at a level deeper than conscious thought. You can consciously know that your bedroom is safe, that you need sleep, that nothing bad will happen if you sleep — but if your nervous system has been programmed with “sleep isn’t safe,” your body will fight sleep regardless of what your rational mind believes.

This explains why approaches that work well for conventional insomnia — sleep hygiene, medications, cognitive behavioral therapy — often fall short for lifelong insomnia. These approaches don’t directly address the nervous system programming that may be at the root of the problem.

Your 7-Year-Old Self and the Origin Story

The fact that your insomnia began when you were 7 years old is particularly significant. Our nervous systems are highly impressionable in childhood, and patterns established then often persist throughout life unless directly addressed.

I wonder what was happening in your life around age 7, Carolyn. Was there a specific event, a change in your home environment, or a period of stress? Even seemingly minor events can have profound impacts on a sensitive child’s nervous system.

For example, a young child could develop insomnia shortly after watching a scary movie at a friend’s house. While that might seem like a minor event, a young nervous system might connect sleep with fear after that experience, creating a pattern that persisted for decades.

A young child could also develop sleep issues if their parents started arguing after they went to bed each night. Their nervous system might learn to stay alert to monitor these arguments, creating a pattern of hypervigilance that continues long after they leave their parents’ home as an adult.

Sometimes there isn’t even a specific event, but rather a temperament that can make you more sensitive to subtle cues in your environment. About 20% of people are born with a more sensitive nervous system than average — what researchers call “high sensitivity.” If you’re in this group, your nervous system may have responded more intensely to normal childhood experiences, creating patterns that others might not develop under the same circumstances.

How Tapping Addresses What Other Approaches Miss

“Unlike most sleep interventions, Tapping works directly with the nervous system, sending calming signals to the amygdala — the part of your brain that scans for danger and initiates the stress response.”

This is where Tapping offers something unique. Unlike most sleep interventions, Tapping works directly with the nervous system, sending calming signals to the amygdala — the part of your brain that scans for danger and initiates the stress response.

Tapping combines physical stimulation of acupressure points with focused awareness on specific thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations. This combination appears to “rewire” the brain’s response to triggers and memories, allowing old patterns to release and new patterns to form.

For lifelong insomnia, Tapping can help:

1. Release old trauma or negative experiences that may have initiated the sleep pattern
2. Calm the hypervigilance that keeps the nervous system on high alert
3. Create new neural pathways that associate sleep with safety
4. Process emotions that may be surfacing when attempting to sleep
5. Interrupt the anxiety-insomnia cycle that perpetuates sleep problems

Many people I’ve worked with with chronic insomnia have found that Tapping was successful where other approaches failed, precisely because it addresses these deeper layers of nervous system programming.

Beginning the Tapping Journey for Lifelong Insomnia

If you’re new to Tapping, I want to assure you that it’s a gentle, non-invasive technique that you can learn quickly. You simply tap on specific points on your face and body while focusing on your specific challenge — in this case, your sleep difficulties.

Here’s a basic Tapping sequence to begin addressing your insomnia. This is just a starting point — as you become more familiar with Tapping, you can customize it to your specific experiences and needs.

Start by rating your level of distress about your sleep problems on a scale of 0-10, with 10 being the most intense.

Take a deep breath and re-rate your distress level. Has it changed? If it’s still elevated, continue tapping through the points until you feel a reduction in intensity.

Going Deeper: Exploring Specific Aspects of Insomnia

To create lasting change with chronic insomnia, it’s helpful to explore and tap on specific aspects of your sleep difficulties. Here are some common patterns that might resonate with your experience:

The “Something Bad Will Happen If I Sleep” Pattern

Many insomnia sufferers have a deep-seated fear that something catastrophic might occur if they fully surrender to sleep. Here’s a Tapping sequence to try:

The “Sleep is a Waste of Time” Pattern

Some people with chronic insomnia have internalized messages that sleep is unproductive or unnecessary. Here’s a Tapping sequence to try:

The “My Mind Won’t Stop” Pattern

Many insomnia sufferers find that bedtime triggers an avalanche of thoughts, worries, and planning. Here’s a Tapping sequence to try:

The “My Body Won’t Relax” Pattern

Physical tension and the inability to physically relax is another common aspect of insomnia. Here’s a Tapping sequence to try:

A Gentle Approach to Deep-Rooted Patterns

“When working with insomnia that has been present since childhood, it’s important to approach the process with patience and self-compassion.”

When working with insomnia that has been present since childhood, it’s important to approach the process with patience and self-compassion. These patterns have been with you for 55 years — they won’t change overnight. But they can change.

Here are some suggestions for using Tapping to address your lifelong insomnia:

1. Tap throughout the day, not just at bedtime. While bedtime Tapping can be helpful, working with these patterns and releasing stress and strong emotions during daylight hours can be more effective since your system isn’t already in a state of sleep anxiety.
2. Explore the origins. Gently tap while considering what might have happened around age 7 that could have triggered your sleep difficulties. You don’t need to force memories, just allow your mind to wander through that time period while tapping through the points.
3. Look for patterns. When you do sleep, what conditions make it possible? When insomnia is at its worst, what else is happening in your life? These patterns can provide clues about what your nervous system associates with safety or danger.
4. Be specific in your Tapping. Rather than just Tapping on “insomnia,” focus on specific aspects like physical sensations, thoughts, emotions, or memories that arise around sleep.
5. Consider working with a professional. While self-guided Tapping can be very effective, a skilled EFT practitioner can help you navigate deeper patterns and provide guidance tailored to your specific experience.

A Final Thought

Carolyn, I want to acknowledge again the tremendous challenge you’ve faced, living with severe sleep deprivation for most of your life. The fact that you’re still searching for solutions speaks to your remarkable resilience and determination.

While I can’t promise that Tapping will be the magic bullet that finally resolves your insomnia after all these years, I can tell you that I’ve seen it work when nothing else did, particularly for sleep issues with roots in early childhood.

Your nervous system has been stuck in a protection pattern for 55 years. With patience, persistence, and the right approach, it can learn a new pattern — one that allows for the deep, restorative sleep your body and mind have been craving for so long.

Sleep isn’t just a luxury — it’s a fundamental human need, as essential as food and water. You deserve to experience the healing power of deep, restful sleep, Carolyn, and I believe it’s possible for you to get there.

Looking for more support with sleep?

• The Tapping Solution App – Features numerous guided meditations specifically designed to help with sleep, as well as addressing stress throughout the day so you can rewire your brain and body for greater balance. Here are some insomnia and sleep-specific resources I’d recommend for you:
  • Fall Asleep Faster (for Chronic Sleep Issues) – This session can help you fall asleep, while also acknowledging the feelings that come with chronic sleep issues.
  • Clearing Stress and Frustration About Insomnia – A powerful session to help acknowledge any stress you feel about insomnia.
  • Deep Sleep Patterning with Binaural Beats – This session is paired with a custom audio designed to help you sleep.
  • If you ever want something short and sweet check out our Quick Taps (which are all 2 minutes long)! We have a whole Sleep Support Quick Taps Category
  • Sleep Journeys – This category is full of soothing sessions designed to help give your mind something relaxing and soothing to focus on while you drift off to sleep.
  • Sleep Through the Night Sleep Programming – This is a unique type of session where we tap to release stress and relax, and then focus on programming the brain to sleep through the night. It could be a useful session once you’ve become more familiar with Tapping.
  • We have so much more beyond what I’ve mentioned here. Use search, or check out our Sleep Support Category as well and see what resonates for you.

Note: You can access these meditations by clicking the links above using your mobile device, or type the name of the meditation into The Tapping Solution App’s search function.

• Check out this blog post for tips on how to make the app more sleep-friendly. From dark mode, to options for how long the music plays if you fall asleep during the session, this blog post is full of tips to make sure your Tapping experience supports a restful night of sleep.
• Find a Certified EFT Practitioner – For personalized guidance on addressing chronic insomnia

Have you struggled with long-term insomnia? Has Tapping helped your sleep? Share your experiences in the comments below!

Until next time… Keep Tapping!
Nick Ortner