[Stuwillo]

Hi all,
I’ve been having problem sleeping for about a year, on and off however lately things have got worse. I generally don’t have problems falling asleep but then I wake up at all times and can’t go back asleep but the worst happens at the weekend (and this frustrates me quite a bit) as my internal sabotaging voice starts telling me that I won’t sleep beginning on friday and I spend the weekends with little or no sleep. I have been looking online for advice and tried to acknowledge that voice but then move on or ignore it though it’s always there and can’t get rid of it. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated (i used to love having a sleep in at the weekend… sigh). Thanks

[Scott]

Hi @Stuwillo,

Welcome to the forum! Waking during the night isn’t uncommon but our reaction to that awakening (checking the time, worrying about falling back asleep, performance the following day, etc) can ignite our arousal system and be a cause for the inability to return to sleep. Do you find yourself worrying about any of those (or other stressors) when you wake during the night? Have you experimented with getting out of bed and engaging in a pleasant activity such as reading a book/mag, watching a show or listening to a podcast and going back to bed only when you’re sleepy?

What time do you usually go to bed, when do you get out of bed to start your day in the morning, and how many hours of sleep do you get on an average night?

Scott J

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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.

[Stuwillo]

@scottctj thanks for your reply. For the past year or so, I have been going to bed at the time most nights (around 10pm) and I find that it has helped me falling asleep. I’ve also tried turning off my mobile phone an hour before going to bed and avoid using it in bed though I haven’t been very successful (i used to love reading before falling asleep and have tried getting back to it but he temptation of checking the phone or browsing is too strong). When I wake up, i stay in bed for some time and then I get up and more often than not, turn my mobile on (I know I’m bad…). During the week I manage to get roughly 7 hours sleep most nights (it depends on my stress levels too) but it’s at the weekend that things get worse as I keep telling myself that I won’t sleep and that’s exactly what happens. Dont know how to stop sabotaging myself… mad as it may sound

[Scott]

@Stuwillo –

I used to have the same problem when I experienced insomnia – grab my mobile every time I wake in the night. It was a hard habit to break but I found that if I leave it right outside my bedroom door, the temptation of checking it was minimal. Have you experimented with any tactics to withdraw from your phone while in bed?

Based on what you mentioned, you’re getting sound sleep during the week, it’s the weekend that’s causing you some anxiety. Do you feel like you’ve associated Friday night and the weekend with poor sleep? Worrying about sleep usually makes sleep more difficult and this certainly contributes to more worry the following day. When our sleep is disrupted, we often want to “fix” it by making adjustments to our bed time routine and how we go about our day. The more enjoyable you can make your day, regardless of how you slept the night before, puts less pressure on you to sleep that night. Are you finding yourself taking daytime naps, canceling social events, conducting no physical activity the day after a night of poor sleep?

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.

[Stuwillo]

Thanks @scottctj. During the week it varies… I can have sound sleep some weeks and other weeks have 2 maybe 3 restless nights where I have problems staying asleep (I’m usually able to fall asleep apart from some exceptions). I have definitely associated fridays and saturday nights with worry about sleeping… it starts in the morning but I don’t know to break that cycle. I’ll definitely try to leave the mobile in a different room, that’s a good suggestion, thanks! To answer your question, I seem to fuction ok the day after a sleepless night and as muchas I’d be tempted to take a nap, I avoid it in the hope of having a better night sleep…

[Author]

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