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I’ve done 3 weeks of SRT. I was sleeping an average of about 6 hours a night pre-SRT. I added 30 minutes to this to make a 6:30 sleep window. I’ve tried not to nap but I do sometimes drift off for 10-15 minutes during the day. On these days my sleep drive is still raging and I find it hard to stay up to 12:30 but somehow I do it.
In the past my issue has been falling asleep, staying asleep, and early morning awakening. Since starting SRT many nights I do fall asleep much easier and do sleep more deeply but I am still waking too early and am getting far less sleep than I did pre SRT. And the bad nights are really bad, sometimes less than 3 hours.
Some days I am “just tired” and slog my way thorough it but many other days I am miserable–irritable, foggy headed, and fighting to stay awake.
My sleep efficiency percentages so far have been 70%, 73%, and 80%. In week 3 (80%) I did break down in the middle of the night and extend my wakeup time by 1 hour on two nights. I figured this into my calculation.
Questions:
1. Should I continue? Is there hope for more progress with such a modest response in 3 weeks?
2. Since my sleep drive is insanely strong most nights would it make sense to extend my sleep window by 15 minutes to lessen my sleep anxiety that was made worse by the short sleep window?
Thanks in advance.
It sounds to me as though you are making very clear progress — why would you stop at this point? I wouldn’t usually suggest extending the amount of time you allot for sleep if your sleep efficiency is currently around 80% since this might just lead to more time awake during the night.
You might find it helpful not to check the clock during your sleep window (if you are doing that) since this can increase arousal when you wake, and make it harder to fall back to sleep. Are you also getting out of bed during your sleep window whenever being in bed doesn’t feel good? That can be a good way to reduce arousal, which, like poor sleep drive, is another perpetuating factor behind chronic insomnia.
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The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.
Hi, Martin-
Thanks for your response. I was asking because on day 24 I was reaching my breaking point and the trend of improvement seemed modest. Also, the shortened sleep window didn’t bother me so much in the first week or so but by 24 days with accumulating fatigue, irritability, foggy mind, etc I had developed intense anxiety over the sleep window. That’s why I was asking about a longer window. Yes, I have been getting out of bed when I experiencing high arousal or agitation.
I did extend my window from 6:30 to 7:20 for a few nights to get some relief and that week I had 91% sleep efficiency. I know that’s a big jump. It was just supposed to be for a few nights but now I am wondering if I should keep the longer window and use some ACT techniques to address the bedtime anxiety. I’ve read that even modest sleep restriction can have significant positive affects and maybe this plus ACT would be good combination for me. It doesn’t take much sleep restriction to make drowsy at night. Thanks very much.
You’ll never know unless you try — but I’d encourage you to stick with whatever you choose to do for at least a couple of weeks so you don’t end up going down the rabbit hole of ongoing experimentation and frequent modifications. When we do that, we end up only treading water since we don’t give ourselves enough time to adapt to any new routine/technique.
—If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Mastery program.
The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.
That makes sense, Martin and thank you for your response. I made it 3.5 weeks with the sleep restriction and while my percentages were improving, the cumulative effects of the sleep restriction, anxiety about the sleep window, and life stressors made it too much to sustain. I am going to try a few weeks of ACT and see where I get with it. If I ever need to come back to SR I will know what to expect and have more tools to work with. Thanks for all you do! Watching your videos has given me hope!!
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