Sleep Without Stress

Welcome! I’m Yana Vriesinga, a certified CBT-I sleep coach and former journalist dedicated to helping you sleep deeply, live fully and be present for the people and purposes that matter most.

After years of writing columns and reporting on human stories around the world for the daily paper NRC Handelsblad, I now bring the same curiosity, clarity and compassion to my coaching, translating complex sleep science into practical steps you can use right away.

CBT-I (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia) is powerful because it addresses the deeper roots of what keeps your brain and body alert at night. This creates lasting, sustainable change, even when life gets stressful.

It is the gold-standard, scientifically proven approach for resolving insomnia and is recommended by leading health organizations worldwide, including the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the European Sleep Research Society. I became certified through the Medical University of South Carolina.

To give my clients an even richer toolkit, I add insights from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Mindfulness. Becoming aware of the thoughts and emotions that arise with insomnia helps you respond instead of react, stay grounded when stress peaks and prevent unhelpful loops that keep your system alert.

This reduces pressure and perfectionism, calms a busy mind and builds the resilience needed to sleep well through all of life’s ups and downs.

During the Covid-pandemic, I created the Gouden Gewoontes Journal (Healthy Habits Journal), a fast, fun and effective habit-building method that helps people create lasting change through small steps and steady support.

In my coaching, I draw on this expertise in behavior change, habit formation and the key role of support, helping you build new patterns gently and consistently, even when life is chaotic or challenging.

As someone who has lived through insomnia myself, alongside trauma, health challenges and the loss of important people and relationships, I know how lonely and overwhelming it can feel to lie awake at night with a racing mind and a tense body.

These experiences taught me that sustainable progress doesn’t come from force or perfection, but from learning how to work with your mind and body rather than against them. They shaped my belief that meaningful change happens when we feel safe, supported and guided step by step.

Yana is my chosen name. My birth name, Ykje, is a traditional Frisian name that tends to be a tongue-twister outside my former home region :-) But it’s more than a convenient nickname: Yana stands for You Are Not Alone — my outlook on life, and the foundation of my coaching.

I believe deeply in the power of community, connection and consistent support. That’s why every program I offer is designed so you are not alone on your path to sleeping without stress.