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I am currently in week 2 of sleep restriction after suddenly developing insomnia 3 months ago (no previous history of it before this!). I started off pretty well last week but the last 2 nights I have regressed to only around 50 % sleep efficiency. I am confused about the advice to get up or stay in bed when sleep doesn’t come. I’m pretty sure I have developed a bad association between my bed and wakefulness so I assume I should be doing the stimulus control to overcome this? It’s just that in other areas of the site, some of the advice has been to stay in bed if you feel OK in bed. Sometimes I can be just lying there not getting stressed and anxious but just relaxed and sleep still won’t come. I never know whether to get up or keep persevering until sleep comes…
Hi, Helen B,
It’s not uncommon for someone to experience some setbacks while implementing CBT-I as that’s part of the process. You’ve made tremendous progress so try not to allow these minor setbacks to discourage your commitment to the techniques or be cause for worry. The general idea for stimulus control is to break the association of being anxious or frustrated while lying in your bed. If you’re comfortable and relaxed when you’re in bed, then you’re more than welcome to remain in bed as conditions are welcome for sleep, but if you become anxious you might want to consider getting out of bed to engage in a more relaxing activity.
Hope that helps,
Scott J—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.
Thanks Scott J. I will keep going with the sleep restriction but it’s so hard. The sleepiness I have throughout the day is difficult to deal with and focusing on my job can be challenging.
How long is your sleep window, Helen? When does it start and when does it end? Do you tend to have issues falling asleep or staying asleep?
—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.
Hi, I’ve been doing 1am until 7am although have lapsed over the last couple of nights. I have real trouble getting to sleep each night. It’s often 2,3,4am by the time I get to sleep. I have no issue once I’ve been asleep if I wake getting back to sleep.
The SR has been really varied, some nights getting the 6 hours, some nights no sleep at all and some nights, about 3 hours. There is no pattern to it or linear progression.
Are you sleepy enough for sleep (finding it hard to stay awake) when you go to bed at night? When it takes you a long time to fall asleep, what do you do? Do you stay in bed or do something else?
—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.
Most nights I can’t keep my eyes open past 9pm. I am so sleepy and am often sleepy in the day. If I’m working on a report or reading for work I often feel I need to lie down for a nap. The issue is when I get into bed, having been so sleepy, I can’t get off to sleep and after about 30 minutes or so, the sleepy feeling will disappear, meaning I then struggle to get to sleep at all.
When that sleepy feeling disappears, what do you do next?
—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.
It varies. Sometimes I stay in bed and just continue to try to fall asleep. I’m usually quite relaxed and don’t have any anxious racing thoughts so this feels OK. But often I still don’t fall asleep so then will get up, read in the living room for a bit and then go back to bed. I started to do very strict stimulus control for a bit but was up and down like a yo yo much to my husbands frustration! So I now do a bit of a half and half approach…
Maybe shifting the action away from “trying” might be helpful since with sleep, the more we try the more we struggle!
WIth nighttime wakefulness, there’s probably no need to do anything for as long as being awake feels good. If that wakefulness starts to feel unpleasant, you might then simply give yourself the opportunity to do something more pleasant/more appealing instead. That night not involve getting out of bed — you might do some reading, for example, instead (if that’s something you enjoy).
—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.
Thanks Martin. I have had a much better week by not trying as you suggested. So it does work even though i was skeptical. However having a bad night tonight for some reason. Just hoping this doesnt set me back. But you help and advice on here and emails has been really helpful.
Thanks for sharing, Helen — and good on you for being open minded and curious and taking some action even though your mind was generating thoughts that made you skeptical!
Remember that everyone experiences difficult nights from time to time — they’re all part of the human experience! They can only set you back if you fall back into the old habits of trying to make sleep happen and battling with your thoughts, feelings, and emotions.
—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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