[BlueRidgeBoiler]

Hi All,

I am in Week 3 of my program, though I’ve been into it for 5 weeks. I got a head cold and cough for 2 weeks that set me back and knocked me off my schedule a bit. One thing that has bitten me 3 times since starting the program is pulling an “all-nighter”, getting actually no sleep at all, not a minute. This is due to my anxiety about not being able to fall asleep at all, then adhering to the 30  minute rough window of getting out of bed when I haven’t been able to fall asleep. If I do this 6-7 times in a night, I have my all-nighter, which I did last night.

It’s rough, and discouraging. However, Martin, the sleep coach has been encouraging in saying that this getting up and out of bed builds conditioning to sleep with the bed, so not to look at it as a way to get more sleep that night, but a way to invest in future sleep. That is a helpful refrain when I get caught up in negative thinking.

Do others on here suffer with these all-nighters? I know they can be soul-crushing for me at times, but I am learning how to get past them and navigate them without my day being totally wrecked.

Thanks,

Jeff

[Conny]

i just joined, so have not followed yet the program.

Have done the sleep resistant therapy before and it did me no good, it developed for me the all nighter awake thing and fear of not sleeping. I did it for 3 nights with no sleep whatsoever and was creating trauma for me……I don’t think it is a one shoe fits all method. But since you committed to the program I don’t know.

For me it felt too harsh.

[Martin Reed]

Hi Jeff — just thought I’d chime in here. Since we can’t control sleep, it’s important to consider that sleepless nights will always happen. They happen to everyone. However, after a night of no sleep, sleep pressure becomes very strong — and this increases the likelihood of sleep the following night (as long as nothing is done to reduce this sleep pressure, such as napping during the day). Over time, these sleepless nights will become less frequent.

As you know, getting out of bed when unable to sleep isn’t intended to improve sleep that night. Instead, it is intended to break the formed association between the bed and wakefulness by ensuring that the bed is only used for sleep. In other words, if you are awake and in bed, you get out of bed. Over time, this creates a mental link between the bed and sleep (not wakefulness), and makes the bed a much stronger trigger for sleep.

All the techniques you will learn during a course of CBT-I will take time to work, and they require consistent implementation. They are challenging — and that is one reason why sleeping pills are so popular. However, if you remain committed, your sleep will improve and you will be left with life-long skills that you can implement for the rest of your life to ensure better sleep over the long-term.

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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.

[BlueRidgeBoiler]

Thanks for the reply. Any time I have pulled an “all-nighter” I have always slept solidly and soundly the next few nights, being so tired. I suppose my experience has also reduced my anxiety, knowing my sleep pressure is so high that I’ll sleep no matter what after a miserable night of no sleep.

I’ve been finding the techniques in Week 3 and 4 helpful. I’ve had 1 or 2 nights when I’ve had 4 hours of sleep, but nothing less than this for now. I’ve been able to fall asleep in less than 15 minutes on most nights and have slept well with a sleep window 6-1/2 hours. After pulling some all-nighters and navigating the next days of these about 4-5 times over the past 2-3 months, getting 4 hours of sleep feels very manageable. Getting 5-1/2 to 6 hours of sleep feels pretty good and I have managed to maintain a rigorous exercise program of 6 days/week of strength training, running, spinning, etc. I used to believe I couldn’t maintain this schedule at 5-6 hours of sleep a night, but eventually the sleep pressure builds and I sleep well.

So far this program has been a real answer to my sleep problems. I’m not “cured” yet, but so much better off than I was a month ago.

[BlueRidgeBoiler]

Thanks Martin. A key point you mentioned, is adjusting the mindset that getting up and out of bed after 30 minutes of not falling asleep is not intended to improve sleep that night, but rather a deposit or investment into long-term sleep skills. Once I started buying into that belief, there was much less anxiety around doing it, knowing that it was an investment into myself, even if I was tired the next day. Being on a specific path to recovery gives me hope, which is something I need to improve. Having that “north star” to guide me with a plan has been key to my sleep improvement.

[Martin Reed]

You are getting results because of your commitment to the techniques you are learning, Jeff. Keep up the effort and your sleep will continue to improve!

—

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.

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