[bethanyc]

Hello,

I am working on overcoming sleep maintanence insomnia and am trying to stick to my sleep window (12-6).

I have two questions – are naps okay? I have heard that they’re okay as long as they are 15-20 minutes and before lunchtime and I have heard that I should not take any naps at all.

I also am wondering if and when caffeine is okay. I drank two cups of caffeine beverages the last two days (7am and noon) and felt pretty anxious when I woke up in the nighttime last night. I always do feel anxious but this was a bit worse.

So essentially, how do people get through the day on 4 hours sleep for so long? I have increased exercise and go for short runs when I start to feel tired. I am a psychotherapist so I have to be present in my sessions. My brain fog is really bad sometimes (but sometimes it is not!). I am already not canceling activities and am making progress in not thinking about sleep (that’s a really hard one, but it makes complete sense).

Thank you!

[Martin Reed]

If you are finding it hard to stay awake (especially if you need to be awake — for example you need to drive or operate machinery) then a short nap of 20 minutes can definitely be beneficial! And, the earlier you take that nap, the less influence of an influence it should have on nighttime sleep.

I doubt that a cup of a caffeinated drink at 7:00 AM and at noon is going to have much of an influence on your sleep — so if that’s something you enjoy, feel free to continue consuming!

I think that people get though the day after four hours of sleep by doing — they might not feel at their best, but they work through it anyway.

I think there are two options when it comes to responding to a difficult night and figuring out how to get through the day.

Option 1: Do less of what matters.
Option 2: Continue to do what matters.

Your own experience can be a good guide as to which approach might be most helpful.

It’s great to hear that you are continuing with plans, independently of sleep, since that can reduce the power and influence sleep might have over your life.

I am not sure how possible it is to stop thinking about sleep — I think that would require a lot of effort, energy, and attention (and suppressed thoughts tend to come back at some point anyway).

Perhaps all that effort, energy, and attention might be better spent elsewhere?

—

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.

[bethanyc]

Thanks Martin! I really appreciate your reply and your podcasts. The success stories keep me motivated. I like the question of what can all the energy and effort go toward in my life?
Something that’s been really hard is intense anxiety when I wake up in the middle of the night. I have no problem getting out of bed (I trained myself to do that a long time ago), but my mind is racing and I have a lot of physical tension. It’s hard to feel sleepy again with so much anxiety.

[Martin Reed]

Yes, anxiety can be really difficult — I am not sure anyone finds it easy to experience anxiety and I don’t think anyone wants to experience anxiety!

Since it doesn’t feel good, most human beings will try to fight or avoid anxiety — and that’s where we can get tangled up in a struggle that makes things more difficult since the mind will often push back and fight our efforts (because it’s generating anxiety to protect us from a real or imagined threat).

And, perhaps sleep might be less likely to happen if we’re busily engaged in a furious battle with our minds in the middle of the night.

I hope there’s something useful here 🙂

—

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.

[bethanyc]

Thank you! This makes me understand more about the need to shift my relationship to anxiety. I’ve been listening to your podcast almost daily for inspiration (which I’m wondering if at this point is putting more attention on sleep than I should, lol) and I am going to start up again today with a meditation practice early in the day, and keep living my life.

Much of yours and other CBT-I advice is to stay awake until sleepy. However, my problem is different from many others – I feel extremely sleepy at 8:30 or 9pm, which is way before my sleep window of 12. Three hours is a long time to stay awake every single night when I’m super sleepy. I essentially can’t do anything sitting down or even talk on the phone or else my eyes will close and I’ll fall asleep. I have some house/organizing projects I can do but they won’t last that many nights, plus I’m mentally fatigued and don’t have much mental focus at that time. Prepping veggies, cleaning, walking the dog are all good activities – mindless and require physical movement. But like I said, three hours is a long time every night.

Any suggestions for how to be successful with sleep restriction in this particular situation?

And is there any idea how long it takes to shift the pattern? I know it varies by person, but it would be good to know a general timeline so I can prepare myself.

[Martin Reed]

Many people feel very sleepy before their sleep window begins — and that’s one of the short-term goals; to generate a clear and obvious sense of sleepiness.

Before sleep was an issue or a concern, roughly what time did you go to bed at night and what time did you usually get out of bed to start your day in the morning and how did you come up with your chosen sleep window of midnight to 6:00 AM?

In terms of how long it takes, the answer is “it depends”. If your goal with the sleep window is to make sleep happen or get rid of wakefulness it might be setting you up for a struggle since sleep cannot be controlled — a sleep window is simply intended to help us move away from chasing after sleep 🙂

—

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.

[bethanyc]

For the past ten years, I’ve woken up in the middle of the night. That’s why I chose 12-6 as my window. I never sleep more than 6 hours, and typically only 4-5 for the last few months.

I guess I am a bit confused because the sleep window makes me feel like I am putting in a lot of effort in the opposite direction – to stay awake. I know we want to avoid stress or any effort around sleep in general. How do I find that balance of following a protocol without feeling stressed about keeping my eyes open? (Even sitting on the couch or talking on the phone makes me sleepy after 9pm to the point where I automatically doze – I have really strong sleep drive, apparently. I just wish it came at the right time)

I’ve had insomnia for over ten years and I was in my 20s/early 30s then, so my sleep needs were different, but I think I generally went to bed around 11 and woke up around 7. To your point, I never thought about it much except for having to wake up for school or work.

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