[Milko]

Hello everyone,

I started with the techniques of CBT-I. Already, I experience some amazing results. I feel drowsy in the evening, for example. I also slept continualy for 5 hours for two nights in a row. On the other hand I find the techniques really tough to execute. This morning I wondered how long I have to continue with spending less time in bed ( nowadays I have a sleep window of 6 hours). I hope not for the rest of my life… 🙁
I read different answers. A quarter of an hour more every week, when sleep efficiency is above 80%, a half hour every month….
Is there someone who can provide me some information, based on experience?
I also wondered if Martin made a video about this topic.

Thanks a lot for answering my question (s). I really appreciate that.

[Chee2308]

Hello again!

It really depends on you. Theoretically, anyone can stop doing cbti and sw/sr immediately if they are no longer scared or frustrated over not sleeping. Your sleep will always go back to normal. Think about the times when you had very little sleep due to exams, presentations or whatever stress you were facing. Once the event is over, you always go back to your normal sleeping pattern almost immediately.

On other hand, if you have insomnia for a very long time, constantly taking pills, still very scared with poor self confidence, have poor understanding of sleep, have a ton of anxiety over it and not sure what to do, then it might be better to continue. A standard course of cbti lasts about 8 weeks.

The objective is the same for both. You need to stop being afraid of poor sleep or believing your sleep is broken.

Only you have the freedom to make the choices you need to live the life that you want. Ultimately, nobody can tell you what to do with your own sleep and/or lifestyle. Because these matters are deeply personal. Good luck!

[Milko]

Hi Chee2308,

Thank you for answering all my questions. I’m not sure I understand your answers completely, but nevertheless they support me!
Is there any evidence-based information on ‘when’ to extend your sleep window? After a week, two weeks or….
I couldn’t find reliable information on that topic.

Thanks for your help!

[Chee2308]

Hello!
If you strictly follow traditional cbti methods, first you need to keep a daily sleep diary, and record your total time spent in bed, how many times you woke up during the night plus estimating how much of that time in total (no clock watching) was actually spent sleeping. Then you calculate your sleep efficiency = total time actually sleeping ÷ total time in bed. If this number is 85% or higher, you can increase your time in bed by 15 mins for 2 weeks. Every 2 weeks you keep adjusting until you reach your desired time.

Of course, the drawback of doing this is you focus too much on the sleep metrics and forces you to pay a lot of attention on sleep. Actually your best sleep happens when you have no rules and are really carefree about it! But you are free to try it though and good luck.

[Martin Reed]

This might be helpful:

How (and when) to change your sleep window when implementing sleep restriction for chronic insomnia

—

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.

[Milko]

Last night, I put out the welcome mat for sleep. There was enough sleep drive, I felt relaxed and drowsy. But in bed it changed. I didn’t fall asleep quickly, so I went out of bed. I went sitting on a chair and do nothing for a while. This cycle repeated until 04.00 in the morning. Because I saw no way out, I took mirtazapine and after that I slept until 08.30 ( my sleeping window was limited to 06.00). Of course it was a pleasure to have some sleep at least, but on the other hand I don’t feel good about it. After this night, does the CBT-I program starts at zero again?

Thanks for answering ?

[Chee2308]

Hello!

No, you don’t reset everything to zero and restart all over. You continue as if nothing happened.

Feeling the cues of sleepiness and getting drowsy before bedtime is normal. When you get into bed, have the mental preparation for sleep. This means you lie down quietly and make yourself comfortable. You may also start yawning at this point. Let your mind drift and let whatever thoughts come through. The process of falling asleep is complex and hard to explain even by science today. Some people may experience hypnic jerks. Your thoughts may momentarily take on a life of its own, you start dreaming and lose contact with your body senses. Then all of sudden, you are jerked back into your body and you become awake again. This process may repeat several times before you finally doze off. This is actually quite normal! I suggest you don’t treat it as a sign of not being able to sleep, having to get up and do stimulus control. You can continue staying in bed if the conditions for sleep are right (you are comfortable and calm).

Good luck!

[boke]

Hello,
You’re at a 6-hour window for now. When above around 85% efficiency for a week – add 15 minutes (getting to bed 15 minutes earlier – never adding 15 min in the morning). This could take only 2 weeks or could take 10 weeks. Depending on how SRT is implemented. SRT works great….IF APPLIED RELIGIOUSLY – sometimes really, really tough to do (ie. especially in conjunction with SCT, you’ve been in and out of bed 6, 7 times, it’s 5:30 AM and you didn’t get a wink AND your sleep window finishes at 7:30 AM). Personally, I find it very, very difficult to get up at the prescribed wakeup time after a white night. Which exacerbates this issue and my insomnia stretches out a week or so at a time. But getting up at the prescribed time is, I believe, THE most important implementation of SRT and SCT.

[Author]

Posts