[Luke45]

I’ve had improvement as well. Three good sleeps, Saturday night through Monday night, but got tripped up last night with anxiety. Found myself being quite stubborn while awake as well. That was the wrong way to behave.
I understand there will be ups and downs, victories and defeats, etc.
Behavioral attitude is everything.

Let’s think positive thoughts for one another, and for everyone.

Luke

[Luke45]

Thanks, Czor.

Luke

[Luke45]

Yeah, go for it. Sounds cozy actually.

We will find our way through this. I am slowly (very slowly) getting better, even with set back nights.

You can do it and you can slways message on here.

Luke

[Luke45]

So, if I may ask: If the start of my sleep window is midnight (hypothethically), and at midnight I’m not sleepy enough to go to bed, then I just have to stay up until I am, correct?
I may have missed it if it was expressed this way in Martin’s material, but I guess that’s what the phrase “earliest possible bedtime” means.
I got hung up on how to do this because I am using a 5.5 hour sleep window, which Martin says is the shortest one to use. I think this compelled me to think I have to be in bed for that entire duration.
So in my hypithethical, if I didnt get sleepy enough until say 1:30am, then that’s when I should really go to bed, and the sleep window duration be damned (for that night)? Does that sound right?
Thanks.

[Luke45]

Thank you, Genie.

Ironically, the evening after my good night I was very “up”, and felt like my old self.

I didn’t have a great night last night, but I’m keeping on.

I hope you’re well.

Luke

[Luke45]

*And in accepting the anxiety’s presence and not struggling against it, it lost strength.

Just to clarify.

[Luke45]

It is common and normal. I’ve been experiencing the same thing.

I had a moment yesterday where I realized that for the preceding hour or so I hadn’t thought about disturbed sleep at all.

Then around the end of the day I had a mild episode of anxiety, which passed shortly after I greeted it with acceptance.

And last night, I had a largely anxiety free night (and without medication). It wasn’t a full night of sleep by any stretch, but I was not exhausted when I got up. Once again, I accepted the anxiety presence and didn’t struggle against it.

I say this to everyone on here: I love you. We are going to get through this.

Sincerely,
Luke

[Luke45]

*not worrying

[Luke45]

So last night was the first night that I didn’t struggle very much, in the absence of taking a sleeping pill. I actively chose to not take a Zopiclone.

It was not a night of uninterrupted sleep. In fact, I had very little sleep, as far as I can tell, however I employed the ACT-I approach of accepting the feelings driving my body’s response and as a result, I was very calm throughout the night. And I’m feeling very calm this morning.

This is a good step in the right direction.

Love you all.

Luke

[Luke45]

A bit of a late reply, but I think you really nailed the key to nighttime wakefulness. No more struggle!

Accept…commit. Teach your mind, gently.

I remember from years ago, duting my first run in with insomnia as a teen, I think I naturally did something like this without knowing or thinking of what it was (pre internet).

Luke

[Luke45]

I appreciate your response. As it turns out yesterday I “learned” how to be awake in bed, without struggle or worry, and simply classify it as rest, rather than heaping the expectation of “must sleep” on myself and the situation. The anxiety response is greatly reduced.
Have been doing a sleep window of 1130pm to between 5 and 6am.
A good practice for me the last two mornings has been being awake in bed for 15 minutes just after opening my eyes, while it’s still dark, as further exposure to restful wakefulness in bed.
If the last 8 weeks (since my episode kicked off this time – btw it seems I get insomnia every 15 years or so) have taught me anything, it’s that I can operate on much less sleep than I thought or remembered and still do the things I love.
The 3 good things list I find to be a great anchor.
Thanks again, and all the best,

Luke

[Luke45]

Hi Martin, I think I may have had an insight this morning with respect to sleep pressure.
It seems to have been failing me, in the sense that my somatic stress response has manged to override the sleep pressure I’ve built up on a few unmedicated nights.
My insight goes back when I had a night shift job, years ago. I would work until 7am, get home at 8am, and it would be nearly IMPOSSIBLE to stay awake.
Is this what it should feel like?

Thanks,
Luke

[Luke45]

It sound reasonable. You dont want to go much shorter for your window.
Are you having difficulty falling asleep, or staying asleep?
I notice that stimulus control is not mentioned in week one, and so I’m not sure what Martin intends as the best approach when we have wakefulness during the night.
I’ve posted to the forum with that exact question, so if you have any ideas, pkease reply to my post.
We can do this.

Luke

[Luke45]

Hey, thank you for your insight. My sleep drive is starting to get more and more noticeable at around the time I have historically been going to bed (which is 11pm to midnight), and my overall anxiety level has come down, versus a month or even a week ago.
I’ve had three big episodes of sleep disturbance in my life, at ages 16, 27, and now 47. All have been precipitated by stress and or anxiety.
So while I’m not new at troubled sleep, it has been quite awhile.
Your thorough reply is kind and honest.
This community is amazing.
Thanks again,
Luke

[Luke45]

If you have a new year of studies on the horizon, I would suggest maintaining a “getting out of bed” time, regardless of when you went to bed, or how well you slept.
That, and of course not going to bed until you’re truly sleepy, is all I will offer.

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