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Here you go: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1087079218300741
—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.
There are no silly questions, Lin — and you actually answered it well yourself.
Let’s say someone averages three hours of sleep at night and they go to bed at 9:00 PM or 10:00 PM and get out of bed at 6:00 AM — they are probably following that kind of sleep schedule because they are chasing after the goal of achieving around eight hours of sleep.
Another example might be the person that usually gets out of bed around 6:00 AM but after a really difficult night they stay in bed until 7 AM, 8 AM, 9 AM, 10 AM, or later to chase after some more sleep.
A sleep window gives you an earliest possible bedtime and a final out of bed time, regardless of what happens from night to night. With those guardrails in place it might be harder to chase after sleep by going to bed earlier (or staying in bed later) or allotting a lot more time for sleep each night compared to the amount of sleep that is usually happening each night.
Does that help bring some additional clarity? It’s OK to say no if this is still unclear!
—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.
The most appropriate and useful time to get some practice in with the AWAKE exercise might be exactly when you don’t feel calm — when you notice the appearance of that anger and that pounding heart and find yourself getting pulled into a struggle.
At that time, you have the opportunity to Acknowledge what you are feeling, notice Where you feel it in your body, practice Allowing it to exist as an observer rather than an opponent, and be Kind to yourself when it’s present. You practice and build skill in Experiencing all that stuff with a bit less struggle.
I don’t know what you can do that is low-key and relaxing when you are awake because that tends to be different for everyone. It doesn’t really matter what you do — as long as you aren’t battling and struggling, trying to control what your experience tells you is out of your control.
What kind of activity might be more pleasant compared to battling and struggling?
—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.
When there’s no intention, effort, or pressure to make sleep happen you feel very sleepy. When you move to your bed that changes and you feel wide awake. Your problem-solving brain prepares you for battle.
Any kind of physical activity can make sleep more difficult before the sleep window begins since it’s hard to fall asleep when we are physically moving. So, no need to overthink this too much. Any of the things you mentioned would be examples of movement that can help keep you awake until the sleep window begins.
This might also be a good time to reflect on what you’ve identified as the crux of the problem. What opportunities might there be to shift that intention, effort, or pressure to make sleep happen once you move to the bed?
—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 concern is understandable, Matt!
Since sleep pressure builds with every minute of wakefulness, sleep (and sleepiness) becomes more likely as time goes on rather than less likely. That doesn’t mean sleepiness becomes progressively stronger or even more noticeable — it can come in waves (and sleepiness is still no guarantee that sleep will happen as you want it to).
As the expert on yourself, you get to choose whether or not to make a change here. In what ways — if any — does your current sleep schedule serve you and move 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.
Sounds like life happened, Lin — to make a mistake is to be human!
Since a morning alarm time is not the cause or cure of insomnia, no “damage” has been done 🙂
—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.
You are moving away from chasing after sleep, @PaulDykstra1970 — and, as a result, it is less likely to pull you into a struggle and it has a better opportunity to take care of itself!
You are making changes and you are learning from the changes you are making! Thanks 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.
Sleep restriction can help reduce the opportunity for long periods of nighttime wakefulness but it can’t make a certain amount or type of sleep happen.
When you are awake during your sleep window, what do you do in response and what are you learning from that response?
—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 sleep during the day, you’ll technically need less sleep at night. Whether or not that is a problem or detrimental to the life you want to live, is something only you can decide!
What I will say is that a 20 minute nap taken early in the day is unlikely to have a huge influence on nighttime sleep. And, perhaps 20 minutes of downtime (whether or not sleep happens) is an act of self-kindness.
What might be helpful here is considering your intent and whether or not you might be putting more focus on sleep and reinforcing the idea that sleep is something you need to chase after or otherwise put effort into.
If you say “yes” to taking a nap, what — if anything — do you have to say “no” to, in order to give yourself the time to create a napping opportunity?
At the end of the day, there’s no black and white answer here! There are pros and cons to naps, just as there are with all behaviors and actions.
If you’re still unsure might ask yourself whether taking a 20 minute nap moves you closer to the life you want to live or pulls you away from the life you want to live.
—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 experience is telling you that you can have nights when sleep happens like you want it to happen and that you can have nights when sleep doesn’t happen like you want it to happen.
You have identified that having expectations when it comes to sleep each night doesn’t really serve you. Your sleep window is currently seven hours long. If you were to reduce your sleep window, what would your goal or intention be with that change?
—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.
You are no longer measuring progress or success based on what’s out of your control (such as how many hours of sleep you might experience).
Instead, you are measuring progress or success based on what you can control — how you respond. When you respond with less battling, less resistance, and less struggle, sleep (and insomnia) loses its power and influence. It has the best opportunity to take care of itself, and you have more energy and attention and focus to do things that matter each day.
That doesn’t mean everything is always perfect or even great. It means you are not engaged in an ongoing battle with something that’s out of your control. A battle that only makes things more difficult and makes it harder for you to live the life you want to live.
Thanks for sharing your insights!
—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.
Nothing unusual here, @Lschwenk — ups and downs are part of any journey, just as @trailrunner85 described.
A sleep window is effective for as long as you are using it to build skill in moving away from chasing after sleep. A sleep window cannot make a certain amount or type of sleep happen. Getting out of bed within half an hour of the end of your sleep window doesn’t mean you aren’t going to get anything from it.
You notice yourself focusing on certain thoughts and feelings after a night that didn’t happen as you wanted it to. You have been practicing the NOW exercise when this happens to help build skill in refocusing. As you shared, it’s harder to get that practice in on those days — and, perhaps that’s the most valuable time to get the practice in?
—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 experience seems to tell you that you cannot stop your brain from generating thoughts and, when you try, you get pulled into a struggle that only makes them even more difficult.
In what ways — if any — might things be different if you didn’t try to fight or avoid certain thoughts and feelings?
—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 update — how time flies!!!
Even though you’d been struggling for decades and had tried so many different things to fix your sleep, you didn’t give up. You found the stories of others in the podcast, took a leap of faith and invested in yourself again by taking my six-week course.
Your understanding of sleep has changed. Instead of trying to control sleep, you developed skill in experiencing wakefulness (and the thoughts and feelings that come with it) with less struggle. That shift has freed you from the insomnia struggle.
You’ve got your life back and that’s entirely down to your own actions and your own natural ability to sleep! 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.
The 7 day sleep diary is more interested in what your sleep routine looks like rather than just the amount of sleep that’s happening.
If you feel your sleep schedule (ie the time you go to bed and the time you get out of bed) will be a lot different when on holiday, I’d suggest waiting until you get back to finish it. If you feel your sleep schedule will be the same then you might want to just keep going with it while away.
Either way, you won’t get “kicked off”! Safe travels! ✈️
—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.
