If you are living with chronic insomnia, it's quite likely that you are spending a lot of time in bed awake rather than asleep. Unfortunately, the more time you spend awake in bed, the more you learn to associate the bed with being awake (rather than asleep) and this can perpetuate insomnia — particularly if you find that sleep-related worry, anxiety, and a racing mind make sleep difficult.
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Why CBT-I is so effective when worry, anxiety, and a racing mind are fueling your chronic insomnia: [ Ссылка ]
The best way to "retrain" yourself to recognize the bed as a place for sleep is to use the bed only for sleep — so, if you are in bed and you can't fall asleep (or fall back to sleep), it's a good idea to get out of bed until you feel relaxed and sleepy again, before returning to bed and repeating the process. This is a technique known as stimulus control.
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How to implement stimulus control when you share your bed or have a family at home: [ Ссылка ]
Many people ask me what they should be doing when they get out of bed because they worry that they might do something too stimulating — something that might make sleep more difficult. Ultimately, it doesn't really matter what you do when you get out of bed during the night (within reason!) because the priority is simply to get out of bed.
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Don't avoid relaxing and enjoyable activities at night when living with chronic insomnia: [ Ссылка ]
I suggest planning (and engaging in) any activity that you find relaxing and enjoyable during the night. This can help motivate you to get out of bed when you can't sleep and can make this challenging technique a bit more bearable.
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My name is Martin Reed and I am the founder of Insomnia Coach®. I offer sleep coaching services that give people with insomnia all the skills and support they need to enjoy better sleep for the rest of their lives. I also offer a free two-week sleep training course for people with insomnia at [ Ссылка ]
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All content found on the Insomnia Coach YouTube channel is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice or medical treatment 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 other licensed healthcare provider. All content is provided as is, and without warranties.
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