[Steve]

I don’t know Mac. Before I started SR, I was getting 4.5 to 6 hours of sleep but it was fragmented over an 8 to 9 hour period. After SR, in particular this week, I got 3.9 hours of sleep average but it was mostly consolidated. Don’t know if there is much of a difference. Also, I always feel exhausted but okay when I get up in the morning. But when I make it to work, I feel less than ok. It’s hard to make it though a work day on 4 hours of sleep. It’s odd how some nights I get the same amount of sleep but it must be a different type of sleep as I am more tired the next day. The two nights I did get over 5 hours of sleep I felt great the nest day. Not perfect, but really good. My problem now is that the lack of sleep is really starting to affect my health. My dry eye syndrome is really starting to bother me and I am getting more migraines. I have been told this is all due to the lack of sleep. I am so exhausted in the morning but still can’t sleep more at night. Crazy. At least I know that I can sleep on my own without pills and I am getting the confidence when I go to bed at night to know that I will sleep. I am still anxious sometimes but I don’t start thinking about what type of sleep I will have, how much or what will happen if I don’t get a good night’s sleep. I am waiting for Martin to look over the first week of my sleep diary.

[Deb]

I signed up for the 8 week course the end of 2018. Then in April when I was in really bad shape I wanted to talk to Martin so I signed up for a package that included 2 weeks of coaching with a couple phone calls. I haven’t signed up since then although I know the option of $99 for one month is there. I’m feeling like I’m getting back on track so won’t sign up unless I think I really need to. Have had 3 good nights in a row and feeling well rested today after 6.5 hours of sleep.

Having said that, I’m not completely satisfied with this method. I hate that I have to get so exhausted in order to fall asleep. I hope that eventually I can be just somewhat tired like I used to be, and then lie in bed 10 to 20 minutes and fall asleep. Now if I’m not out like a light when I hit the pillow, I’m awake and getting up for 2 hours or more.

[Padron1926]

Deb

Is that limited to one month or could you pay another 99$ and do a second month and so on?

[Deb]

I’m assuming, yes.

[Deb]

I’m assuming that you could continue to pay $99 a month for as many months as you need help.

[Deb]

Steve – it’s good to see your improvement. I could see how it was really rough for you in the first couple of weeks and now your sleep is consolidating and gradually lengthening. Keep up the good work!

[Steve]

I know what you mean Deb. If I don’t fall asleep within 15 minutes of hitting the pillow, I know it’s going to be a rough night. Right now, I know I am making progress. But after my 3rd week of SR, my first full week with Martin, I am only getting 3.9 hours of sleep per night average. That’s not enough sleep for me at all and I am feeling the effects. I am getting more migraines and vertigo spells. Also feeling more disoriented. I had CAT scans and other tests before and they all came back negative so the doctors and myself are assuming it’s the insomnia causing it all. I mean it must be because it’s hard to function on 3.9 hours of sleep. Before SR, I was getting 4.7, not too much better but enough to keep the migraines and vertigo at bay. And a lot of that 4.7 was actually nights of between 5 and 6. Unfortunately, it was very fragmented and I got it over 7 to 9 hours of being in bed at night so you can see I was tossing and turning a lot. My sleep is now consolidated into one block so hopefully, I will start to increase the time I am actually asleep.

[Deb]

Yes it makes sense that the lack of sleep is giving you health problems. But you’re getting better Steve, and probably within the next couple weeks your sleep will increase to the point where things are more manageable. I know for myself, too, I need at least 5 hours of sleep to feel decent and function normally. So you’re just an hour away from that. Also, your anxiety is going down which will naturally help you sleep better. So overall, you’re making good progress.

[Slarus]

Hi Steve. Thanks for the SW suggestion. I backed it off to 6:30 last night. Then I really messed up. I was so exhausted from my three days of no or minimal sleep I slept right through the alarm and didn’t even wake up until 8:00. I couldn’t believe it. I hate getting that exhausted. I made it to my SW bedtime but was almost propping my eyes open to fight off the microsleeps. I don’t know how much this will set me back but I will just move on and keep at it. Tonight will not be pretty after such an oversleep.

[Steve]

We all do that every now and then Slarus. The key is not to beat yourself up over it. Just move on to the next night.

[Borgesbi]

Deb, has sleep restriction not worked so well for you? Steve , how is it going for you?

I have been doing SR for 8 weeks now and I only had 1 week of good sleep. My sleep efficiency on week 6 was 84% and then on week 7 it went right back down to 68%  -it’s been impossible not to feel frustrated and hopeless.

I am deciding on my own (and will get feedback from Martin on this soon) to do a “partial” sleep restriction. My idea is to wake up at the same time every day  (5:30am) but start going to bed whenever I feel “relaxedly” sleepy (never earlier than 10:30pm). This relaxed sleepiness is a sensation I hadn’t felt in over 2 years (ever since I developed insomnia) and thanks to CBTI I started feeling it again, but insisting on going to bed after so many hours of feeling sleepy is actually starting to “cut off” that feeling.  I find this relaxed sleepiness so precious and such a wonderful wave to go into sleep.

I know SR works for a lot of people but when I stay awake for that long while fighting sleepiness, it stresses me out, it puts my mind and body into overdrive and I feel anything but relaxed and ready for sleep when I get in bed  – it’s almost as if my brain is getting the message that we need to stay awake, so now we WILL stay awake. I think SR in itself causes my arousal system to activate. It’s insane to be collapsing of sleepiness, to get in bed and not be able to fall asleep after almost 8 weeks of doing this.  I don’t know  if this “partial SR” is a good idea, but I’m not seeing any other way of continuing this. I don’t want to give up on the whole thing as I see the logic behind it but I do think I need some modification..

[Steve]

Doing okay Borgesbi. My sleep is really consolidating but after week three of sleep restriction, I don’t find it getting longer yet. I was getting more sleep before I started SR but that is still normal at this point and to be expected. My problem is that I am getting so little sleep, only averaging 3.9 hours right now, that I am extremely tired the next day at work. Still, I am sticking with this. Week four is still very early in the program.

[Pam1129]

I’m so new to this… so we can lose the ‘sleep drive’ ??

Meaning: if we doze off while watching tv or reading a book, this could mess us up for ‘when’ we do go to bed, or even during this SR timeframe???

im trying really hard to just stay upright throughout the day for that same reason… because of being so tired , and just wanting to lay down for a quick power nap, I just try and keep pressing on… sometimes it has been very difficult . So my question; should I avoid any type of a  5-10 min power nap, because it could mess this SR , sleep drive up ! ( I fell asleep in the car waiting for my dad ha)

Because I am really working hard on sticking with this , (although brutal staying up until 12)

last night was #8

it was my best so far??

[Borgesbi]

Steve, that’s good! I think the changes come slowly and yes, it’s still early to see a lot of improvement, keep up the good work 🙂

Pam, from what I have learned – yes, micro sleeps and naps will decrease homeostatic drive to sleep (sleep pressure) so you want to avoid them as much as possible. For me, it’s impossible to avoid micro sleeps in the last hour or 2 of SR, even if I’m sitting up straight on the floor, I’ll fall asleep for  2 seconds or so. I think these don’t affect as much, so definitely keep it to a minimum. And yes, this process is brutal but it does work for most people. For me unfortunately it often leads my body and mind into tension and overdrive :/

[Deb]

Sleep restriction works well for me. I just don’t like the idea of being so dependent on it. But hopefully that will change over time and eventually won’t have to be so completely exhausted to fall asleep.

Regarding power naps. I’ve taken them (no more than one a day of 20-30 minutes) and it really helped me get through the day when I was very tired. It just gave me a boost of energy to keep going. As long as I was tired and sleepy enough when it was time to go to bed, the nap didn’t interfere with my sleep. Maybe it has a lot to do with your attitude. If you worry that they might mess up your sleep then maybe that worrying itself might mess up your sleep. Because I didn’t worry about the naps, they didn’t affect my sleep.

Borgesbi – that must be very frustrating to have had only 1 week of good sleep during 8 weeks of SR. Are you doing SC as well? What kind of insomnia do you have, sleep onset or do you wake too early? Mine is sleep onset. As long as I fall asleep soon, for the most part I have a good night.

[Author]

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