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The short answer is, your sleep window will change whenever you decide to change it 😉
A sleep window can’t really make a certain amount or type of sleep happen. I like to think of the sleep window as a tool that can help you move away from chasing after sleep — because the more we chase after sleep, the more elusive it often becomes.
A sleep window comes with some bonus side-effects, too. It helps ensure we are building sleep drive and the consistent out of bed time helps anchor the body clock. Observing a sleep window also ensures we aren’t spending our lives in bed — we have the opportunity to live life and do stuff that matters.
I usually suggest lengthening the sleep window when you:
1. Find you are regularly filling the majority of your sleep window with sleep (no need to track percentages here — unless you find that really helpful!),
AND/OR
2. Any wakefulness that shows up during your sleep window isn’t creating a struggleIf/when you are ready to lengthen your sleep window you can do that by starting it a bit earlier (15/20/30 minutes) and reflecting on the change after a week or two. You might also consider making the hour before your sleep window begins the last time you check the time and then allow yourself to go to bed whenever you feel sleepy enough for sleep.
Something I’d also add is this:
Chronic, ongoing insomnia is rarely a sleep drive problem alone. That can be one part of it, but there are often more parts to the jigsaw, so to speak!
The big issue is often more related to how our ongoing attempts to fight, avoid, or resist insomnia (and all the thoughts and feelings that can come with it) can provide insomnia with the oxygen it needs to survive.
—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.
Maybe those stressed-out people aren’t sleeping. Maybe they are.
A night of great sleep is never guaranteed — big day or not! As you shared, the more pressure you put on yourself to make a certain amount or type of sleep happen, the more difficult it seems to become.
So, perhaps the way forward here lies in removing yourself from the process of sleep as much as you can? Not putting effort into it. Not trying to make it happen. Going to bed, resting, and allowing whatever shows up to show up.
Perhaps your experience also tells you that you can still get through the next day, regardless of how sleep goes. Yes, it might be more difficult — and you have a track record of doing it anyway.
I hope there’s something useful here!
—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.
I appreciate the offer, Johnny! My preferred expression of thanks would be for you to share what you’ve learned here with others 🙂
—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.
I am not familiar with that specific device and I don’t have expertise in sleep apnea.
Unfortunately nobody here can offer you a medical diagnosis or answer your questions with certainty. Consulting with a sleep doctor online or via telemedicine might give you more options and clarity.
—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.
Your problem-solving brain is doing its job and looking out for you! You get to decide how to respond to such thoughts. One option is simply acknowledging and thanking your brain for what it’s saying. Nothing more is needed 🙂
—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.
If you want to sleep during the day, you can sleep during the day — nobody here is going to tell you what you can (or can’t do)! You are the expert on you 🙂
Daytime sleep will reduce sleep drive and that means less sleep will be needed at night. Whether or not that’s an issue or a problem for you, can only be answered by you!
—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.
Hello Bodie! Your own experience might be your best guide here: what does it have to say about going to bed before you are sleepy (or only after you are sleepy)?
—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.
Many people find it helpful to work through the course more than once — there’s a lot of stuff here, and it can take time to “sink in”. With that being said, the most important thing is taking action — turning what is shared in the course into action! Getting the practice in.
You’ve been doing that and, as a result, you are noticing progress. Like any journey, there will be ups and downs along the way. And you always get to decide whether (and how) you’ll continue to move forward when the “downs” happen!
As you shared, action is hard work. And, stuff that matters is rarely easy 🙂
—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.
Thanks for sharing 🙂
You have committed to the action of not taking medication — something your problem solving brain suggested might not be possible. You have committed to the action of giving sleep the opportunity to happen in your own bed — something that, perhaps, your problem solving brain told you couldn’t happen (or wouldn’t be as likely to happen versus using the couch as a bed).
And, as you continue to notice improvements, you also notice your problem-solving brain doing its job of looking out for you by generating all different thoughts and feelings (especially those “what-if” thoughts)! As you shared, you get to decide how to respond to those 😉
As you have committed to change, you are gaining insights and perspectives that are giving you the confidence to continue moving forward.
I wish you all the best as you continue on your journey!
—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.
It’s OK to practice the AWAKE exercise during the day!
The AWAKE exercise is more “open-ended” versus the NOW exercise, so practicing the AWAKE exercise during the day might require you to say no to, do less of, or not be able to refocus on something else that might (or might not!) be important.
So, for example, if you get in bed to imagine it’s night to get some practice in with the AWAKE exercise — what other meaningful activity (or activities) do you have to put aside in order to do that? As you reflect, what course of action is more helpful at moving you closer to where you want to be?
—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.
This great question has come up before: AWAKE vs. NOW
The exercises are similar and both come with the goal of building skill in experiencing what shows up with less struggle. AWAKE is more open-ended (and, therefore, perhaps more suited to nighttime use) whereas NOW is more about refocusing attention on where you are and what you are doing.
Does this help?
—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.
Even though you don’t write down three good things, you are consciously and deliberately expanding the focus of your attention to look for, notice, and acknowledge the good stuff that’s present (even when things might be difficult).
The sleep window is giving you the opportunity to do more with your life and the actions you are committing to are moving you closer to where you want to be. Instead of preserving your energy, you are putting it to good use!
Thank you for sharing and I wish you all the best as you continue to move forward!
—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.
Referring to anxiety as “the” anxiety, rather than “my” anxiety is giving you the opportunity to separate yourself from your thoughts and feelings. You are not your thoughts and feelings. They show up and you are aware of their presence.
As for sleep anxiety versus any other kind of anxiety, I think there’s a reminder there that anxiety is going to show up for as long as we are human beings. Sleep anxiety, job anxiety, weather anxiety, relationship anxiety, stepping on a lego brick in the dark anxiety….
And, if one “type” of anxiety seems to be a problem in our life, perhaps that’s because of all our attempts to fight or avoid the anxiety end up backfiring and giving it more power and influence (especially if it relates to things out of our control).
We can apply for jobs, but that’s no guarantee that we’ll get a job. We can propose to our partner but that’s no guarantee they’ll say yes. We can put the lego bricks away, but that’s no guarantee the cat won’t grab one and plant it in the corridor at night 😉
Perhaps what matters most here is how we respond to the presence of any kind of anxiety. Whether (or not) our action-based responses move us closer to the life we want to live or pull us away from the life we want to live.
Thanks for the thought-provoking post — and thank you, @casserieev, for sharing your wisdom and insights as a graduate 🙂
—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.
Thanks for the great question!
The intent behind the AWAKE exercise is to help you build skill in experiencing being awake and all the thoughts and feelings that might show up with it, with less struggle. As you build that skill, you get to be more of an observer of all that stuff (rather than an opponent). You also get to practice being kind to yourself when things feel difficult. You also give yourself more options when it comes to how you respond — alternatives to battling.
When there’s less struggle, when being awake doesn’t draw you into a battle, when you aren’t trying to fight or avoid certain thoughts and feelings, conditions for sleep improve. Sleep has the opportunity to take care of itself and become effortless. You conserve your energy and attention so there’s more available to be used each day to live the life you want to live.
As for the second A in AWAKE (Allow) this is about giving everything you’ve acknowledged permission to be present. You might, for example, visualize each thought as a cloud and watch it in the sky. You might imagine each thought as a cartoon character with a certain appearance or voice. It might be doing interesting or amusing things. You might imagine each thought as a word on a piece of paper or computer screen and play around with the shape of the letters, the size, the colors. Perhaps the thoughts have sounds?
There’s no right or wrong way to practice this — I encourage you to play around with it 🙂
—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.
Everyone is different — people who struggle with insomnia typically report feeling tired rather than sleepy. Tiredness is more to do with feeling worn out (endless battling is exhausting). Sleepiness is more to do with finding it hard to stay awake.
If you don’t feel tired or sleepy during the day, that’s not unusual either. Ultimately, insomnia comes from your brain keeping you alert to protect you what it believes is the danger/threat of insomnia.
Depending on how powerful your protection system is (also known as the arousal system) it can suppress all feelings of tiredness and sleepiness as it does its job of trying to keep you safe.
At the end of the day, sleep can still happen whether you feel tired or not and whether you feel sleepy or not. Feeling sleepy is a good predictor that conditions for sleep are good — but there are still no guarantees.
—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.
