[Usongc00]

Hello. I have been experiencing insomnia since early December 2020 due to stress and anxiety related issues. I had a mixed bag of issues from problems falling asleep to waking up multiple times a night and not being able to fall back asleep for a long time, or at all.

I am almost 3 weeks in to applying CBTI techniques and sleep restriction. Since I was averaging 4-5 hours of sleep a night before starting, my sleep window is the minimum 5.5 hours. While my sleep drive has become pretty strong — I fall asleep relatively quickly, I am still waking up at least once a night. I am applying techniques to help me fall back asleep in a shorter amount of time, but I have not yet achieved the adequate sleep efficiency to expand my time in bed.

I understand that I do need to just stay consistent and keep it up— and that I’m ultimately teaching myself skills that can be applied long term. I know it also will take time to undo a lot of poor sleep habits my body has learned. However, I am so much more tired during the day (sometimes I feel more exhausted than when I got less sleep!).

For those of you who have applied CBTI and sleep restriction to fix your sleep maintenance issues: how long did it take you? Were you able to ever sleep through the night consistently again? Looking for success stories! Thank you!

[Martin Reed]

Hello Usongc00 and welcome to the forum!

Congratulations on your decision to apply some cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) techniques such as sleep restriction!

It sounds as though you are already experiencing some benefits with those fast sleep onset times. It can be helpful to bear in mind that waking during the night is a normal part of sleep so waking, by itself, isn’t something to be concerned by.

When you wake at night, are you finding it really hard to fall back to sleep? If so, why do you think that might be? Are you doing anything in response to that nighttime wakefulness after you wake and find it hard to fall back to sleep?

It’s great to know that you recognize you are practicing techniques that will be beneficial over the long term. You mentioned that you feel more tired during the day — since your sleep window is longer than your average nightly sleep duration, why do you feel that might be the case? Do you find this tiredness is the same from the moment you wake to the moment you go to bed at night, or does it vary according to the progress of the day or what you do during the day?

Everyone makes progress differently — but everyone who continues to implement techniques that build sleep drive, strengthen the body clock, and weaken the arousal system makes progress! You might find it helpful to turn to the Insomnia Coach Podcast for some motivation and inspiration!

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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.

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