[boagz57]

Background/Issue:

I’ve had insomnia now for about a year and a half. I’ve been through spurts of different sleep patterns, ranging from not able to get asleep to able to fall asleep but not stay asleep (only sleep for 3 – 4 hours) to sleeping 5-6 hours but all of it broken sleep and everything in between. I’ve also struggled with anxiety on and off for the last few years of my life. I decided to try the sleep restriction technique and have been trying to implement it the past few nights but I haven’t been real successful yet but need some clarification first. It seems one of my main problems is anxiety which keeps me from feeling sleepy. Lately, it’s not even that I have had many thoughts causing anxiety but instead it just seems my body has just started to naturally start feeling uneasy at night (even before going into bed). It’s been very subtle and even though I’m calm I still feel like there is a small lump in my chest which is enough to keep me up it seems. So far I’ve only been able to sleep within my sleep window because I’ve taken my sleeping pills (lunesta).

My questions are as follows.

1.) If it is mainly this uneasy, anxious feeling keeping me up, should this be something I should try and address by itself first before starting the sleep restriction? Or, is this something the sleep restriction technique is going to help resolve as well? So say worst case scenario I’m only able to get an hour or so of sleep for a few days in a row due to my anxiety. Is the idea that eventually my sleep pressure will build so much that I will get more sleep eventually despite my anxiety and if I stick with things my body will start to learn to stop being anxious before sleep?

[Martin Reed]

Welcome to the forum, @boagz57!

It can certainly be helpful to explore the thoughts that seem to be causing anxiety — but I don’t think you need to do this before you start allotting an appropriate amount of time for sleep.

I think it would be quite difficult to get only an hour or so of sleep for a few days in a row because sleep drive would be very strong after such a long period of wakefulness — and that would make staying awake for so long very hard (and unlikely).

Often, people who implement sleep restriction start to find that they get sleepier as the start of their sleep window approaches, they start to find it easier to fall asleep, and they start to spend less time awake during the night. All these things can help to lower sleep-related worry and anxiety — and this can lead to further improvement in sleep.

I hope this helps!

—

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 Clarity 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