[spunkyspangler]

new to this sleep window therapy. 6 hour window 11 – 5 am. been doing this for a couple of weeks now. i seem to fall asleep ok and some nights sleep well till almost 5 other nights i wake up in the middle of the night and cant go back to sleep.

it is like a box of chocolates never know what i am going to get !! not sure if others have experienced the same when first starting out with the windows etc

all i can say is i will stick to the plan no matter what cus really what is the alternative !!!

[Scott]

Great job implementing a sleep window and sounds like you’ve had great progress with it!

When you have middle of the night awakenings, why do you think it’s difficult to return to sleep?

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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.

[spunkyspangler]

when i wake up in the middle of the night i seem to be wide awake, not stressed out no anxiety etc so i just lie there to see if sleep will visit me but it doesnt

so what i do is then just simply get up and start my day with the positive outlook that now i will be getting more awake time to build a better sleep drive for the next evening etc

not sure why it is difficult to go back to sleep as i am not trying to sleep that will only ensure i will stay awake !!

any thoughts on that scott ?

[Scott]

It’s fantastic to hear that you’re not pushing for sleep when you wake up in the middle of the night. Pressuring yourself to sleep often backfires and makes it even harder for sleep to happen. Remember, it’s normal to have awakenings during the night, even if many people don’t realize it. How we react to these awakenings typically determines whether we can fall back asleep. If you wake up without feeling anxious, feel free to stay in bed and rest, as long as you don’t get frustrated. However, if you do start feeling frustrated or anxious, it might be helpful to engage in something more enjoyable.

Starting your day early when you wake up prematurely is a great idea, something I also commonly do. As you noted, it can help build a strong sleep drive throughout the day, hopefully leading to a restful night’s sleep for you.

Hope that 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 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.

[spunkyspangler]

hi scott,

yep that is what i am doing, i dont “try” to fall back to sleep, i simply lay in bed and relax. i know that insomnia is all about people trying to force sleep and it just can not respond to that.

i now dont sweat the ” i am going to have a bad day today” like i used to. i just look at the positive saying that i am going to have a great day inspite of this situation, i take the position that my sleep drive will build even better that day which will help when i hit the sack in the evening. i do believe that the sleep window will eventually override this early morning wake up and i will be able to go right to the alarm clock at 5 am !!

i know that it will take time for the pattern change, as i ban all access to the clock when i hit the hay i have no idea what time it is when i become awake. seems to help

thanks for your encouraging words scott

much appreciated

spunky (daniel)

[spunkyspangler]

scott,

also just wanted to note i have not heard back from the medical student as both of us shared some insight into his situation.

oh well, it appeared to me that he is aware of the encouragement feedback but just wont implement it

daniel

[Chee2308]

Hi Daniel

Let me share my experience the best i could remember it as it happened way back now. During my recovery journey, i experienced a lot of early morning awakenings too. At first it was a bit frustrating to me as well until I decided to just expect them every night. And I just did what you do now. I got up early and had an early start to my day, I would find stuff to do like my laundry, make breakfast or just watch my favorite shows. I appreciated the quiet moments because there was nobody fighting with me over the tv and what nots. Then I grew tired of this routine so I decided I would just lay in bed. I started falling asleep again, only briefly at first, maybe less than 5 minutes or so which slowly but steadily grew longer until I was sleeping all the way till my alarm went off. So this was how it happened to me. I am sleeping great now, still wake up at least once during the night but I always fall back asleep in no time. Good luck to you and I hope you find your relief soon.

[spunkyspangler]

thanks for your feedback much appreciated, yes it does make things difficult when u start your day at 3 am LOL
i try to think along the line of i am really going to build up my sleepdrive for the coming night etc. after a few days of that i then sleep to the alarm and i am thinking it is because of the lack of prolonged sleep and the drive just overpowers the early moring wake up etc

i shall keep on keeping on

thanks

daniel

[Author]

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