[garlicwise]

This is my second attempt at CBT-i, this time guided with a sleep practitioners help (I found this forum after I signed up with my practitioner).

What I wanted to see is if folks would maybe post about how long it took before sleep restriction/compression started being effective for them and my reasoning is this;

I started this with an app that shall go un-named. I thought it was a happy medium for cost to help ration, but I quickly discovered that they seem to have a cookie cutter approach to the length of time it takes to start different stages of sleep compression, which lead me to have pre conceived notions of how quickly it would or should work for me. I had become convinced that something was wrong with me when I wasn’t really seeing results after two weeks. This lead me to seek out a real professional and I am coming to the realization that it is a marathon not a sprint, and that this process is soooo different for everyone.

I’m two and a half weeks in, with a 6 hour sleep window, I am asleep when my head hits the pillow, but pop awake at 4:15, a full hour before when I want to wake up. I was getting very upset and frustrated at this and was worried I was the one person this wasn’t going to work for because I wasn’t seeing super awesome results by two weeks. My “coach” from the sleep app offered what amounted to AI generated advice. (The were probably a real person, just not very helpful) I just thought it might be helpful for folks to post roughly how long they were doing it for before they started to really see results. I’m willing to bet for most it is a lot longer then two weeks. It could give others some insight into how nuanced this is for every individual, and not to lose heart if you don’t see results right away!

Cheers!

[Martin Reed]

It’s hard to come up with timelines since everyone is different and many people define “effectiveness” and “success” in different ways.

A sleep window is just one tool that can help us move away from chasing after sleep. Although some people find that a sleep window is all they need, other areas often need to be explored (such as how we respond to being awake during the night and how we deal with the difficult thoughts and feelings that often show up with insomnia).

A sleep window can easily become a sleep effort if used in an attempt to make a certain amount or type of sleep happen — and, as you likely know from experience, the more effort we put into sleep the more elusive and difficult it can seem to become!

As you shared, this is often a marathon and not a sprint. And you cannot control the outcome you are looking to reach — you can only control your ongoing practice and implementation. Things that will move you closer to where you want to be.

I wish you all the best on your journey. It sounds as though you have the mindset, attitude, and strengths to succeed 🙂

—

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.

[Author]

Posts