At 27, fresh out of grad school, I found myself drowning in exhaustion and emotional turmoil after years of intense studies and a draining relationship. Returning to Vilnius (Lithuania), I embarked on a career as a psychologist, only to realize that while I grew professionally, my sleep was nowhere to be found. What began as occasional night of poor sleep soon spiraled into a full-blown insomnia. Night after night, I tossed and turned, caught in a relentless cycle of sleeplessness. For years, I battled exhaustion, my days blurred by fatigue and frustration. Does that sound familiar ...? That was my life until 2023 brought a glimmer of hope. Discovering Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) felt like stumbling upon a forgotten treasure. Astonishingly, buried deep within my academic past, I had encountered this methodology during my final year of bachelor's studies. But at that point I was still sleeping really well. Now a decade later, it resurfaced with newfound relevance, offering a lifeline amidst this long-term despair. Yet, my skepticism lingered. Despite exhausting every avenue from meditation to medication, sleep remained a distant dream. The very pills meant to alleviate insomnia inflicted allergic torment, culminating in a harrowing emergency room visit where I faced an impossible ultimatum: insomnia or a continuous battle with allergic reactions. It wasn't just the side effects from meds that I was dealing with. Over the last year of insomnia I'd lost about a third of my hair, had constantly chipped nails, poor memory and chronic body pains. All due to long-term sleep deprivation. I couldn't do this anymore. In the depths of despair, amidst allergic reactions and chronic illnesses, I resolved to start a new path. Tapering off medication unleashed a tsunami of insomnia, but I was determined to continue on. With my resolve back in place, I revisited CBT-I, confronting doubts with determination. I had nothing to lose. Armed with sleep protocols from my past, I embarked on a journey of self-healing. Day by day, week by week, I navigated the treatment's challenges. Despite the ups and downs I witnessed the gradual transformation of my sleep. Each night brought fragile hope, helping to move forward. And so I did. Though not with ease, I helped my body reset and finally learned to sleep again. Without medication, supplements or 2-hour long meditations. Urged by loved ones, I documented this journey (in LT). It wasn’t pretty. But it was very real. As my sleep journey came to an end, I committed to guiding others from the pains of sleeplessness to restorative sleep. Enrolling in training, I became a certified psychologist/CBT-I practitioner, bridging personal struggle with professional purpose. Today, I stand not as a victim of insomnia, but as an example (among ample others) that insomnia is treatable. I couldn’t be more excited to guide others through their sleep journeys, helping to remember what it’s like to wake up happy, motivated and excited for their day.