[Danny1993]

I started implementing sleep restriction roughly a month ago; I saw results by week 2. However, I’m having a few setbacks recently. I’m not letting this discourage me. But I do think it’s related to inconsistencies in my restriction.

Basically, I’m having a really tough time getting my day started, particularly after a bad night. I get out of bed and feel so sleepy that sometimes I move to the couch literally just to sit and exist with my eyes closed for 30-40 minutes (occasionally over an hour) before I finally get a start on the day. This is essentially dozing/micro-sleeping, so I’m sure it’s semi-defeating the purpose of having an allotted and consistent wake-up time.

Does anyone else struggle with their wake-up time? Any coping tips for days you aren’t consistent? Also, any tips for avoiding the siren call of the couch when you just got out of bed, it’s freezing, and you’re SO sleepy? Lol.

[Chee2308]

Hi!
Welcome to the forum. I don’t think being so hard on yourself is really helping especially when you’re still pretty new to it. How many hours do you allow for sleep btw? 6 hours should be the minimum.

Waking up groggy is normal even with normal sleepers! Then it kinda just goes away by the time you eat breakfast and get revved up to start the day. It is pretty common to mistake this grogginess with lack of sleep because sleep doesn’t work like a switch that turns on or off instantaneously; it’s more like a dimmer and the things you do after waking up will give your body the necessary cues to what’s going on.

You don’t have to follow cbt-i exactly to the tee to expect the results you desire. That means you can “mess up” a bit here and there, like dozing or taking micro naps and it still wouldn’t affect your sleep drive by very much. Just try it. Be willing to explore and take things further from your comfort zone. Don’t just attribute “failure” to anything you did “wrong”, there may be no connection at all.

Feeling sleepy is a surefire way to tell your sleep system is working. It means nothing is wrong. I encourage you to change your mindset in positive ways that will aid your recovery. In the end, you will just stop following sleep rules, you become very relaxed with your sleep schedule, are very open to the idea of staying up later or finding yourself awakening any time of the night. And you don’t lose sleep over sleep anymore because it’s just not worth it. Recovery from insomnia doesn’t mean free from insomnia, it just means those who recovered are a lot more indifferent to future episodes of poor sleep than they used to be. Actually they are much more common than you think and coming to terms with it is what makes all the difference. Good luck to you.

[SueE]

Thank you Chee2308! I love the way you put things – You’re very articulate in your replies and there’s some useful points here. Merry Christmas!

[Chee2308]

Hello Sue
I really appreciate your kind words. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas too. May you find joy and happiness in this festive and giving season. I might add too that optimistic and cheerful people are usually the ones that do pretty well in life generally, not just in overcoming insomnia. Thank you again.

[Sarahjoy]

I think it does help if there is a safe and supportive network around for sure! Unfortunately I received the opposite here, was told I was exaggerating because of my user name. Good luck! I wish all the best for you

[Author]

Posts