Support for Insomnia—When to get out of Bed
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Do you have insomnia? Have you been told you should get out of bed if you can’t sleep? Is that advice confusing? How are you supposed to get sleep if you’re out of bed? Excellent question… Further, if someone (like yours truly) has asked you to get out of bed when you aren’t sleeping—do you wonder how to put that into action? Here are some questions you might ask…
You: Why should I get out of bed if I can’t sleep?
Me: Staying in bed when you are wide-awake trains your brain to be awake in bed, which makes insomnia worse.
You: How can I get the sleep I need if I’m out of bed?
Me: You are only out of bed until you are sleepy. Then you go back to bed. You aren’t limiting your sleep. You’re limiting your time awake in bed.
You: Do I get out of bed as soon as I’m awake?
Me: You can get out of bed right away, if you are very alert or feeling panicked. Getting out of bed to do something calm, even for a little while, can help you relax, become sleepy and eventually fall asleep.
You: What do I do when I’m out of bed.
Me: Do something calm and enjoyable, but nothing that will excite you and keep you awake. Avoid light that is close to your eyes, or any work-related activities. This time should be dedicated to relaxation and recuperation. Make sure that whatever you do allows you to recognize when you are getting sleepy so that you will know it’s time to go back to bed.
You: When can I go back to bed?
Me: When you are sleepy. Yawning, heavy eyelids, or lack of concentration can be signs of sleepiness to cue you back to bed.
You: How long should I try to sleep?
Me: First, stop trying to sleep. The harder you try to sleep, the worse you will do. Instead, focus on what you can control, like getting out of bed when you’re awake. Second, looking at the clock will wake you up even more. We don’t really have a sense of time when we sleep, and I don’t want you fully waking yourself up to calculate how long you’ve been awake in order to know when to get out of bed. SO, the way I want you to determine when you stay or get out of bed is to change the focus away from time and into your body. *See below for a booster session on this.
You: If I’m a little sleepy, should I stay in bed or get up?
Me: This is the best question and my favorite answer. It is so important that I’ve recorded an audio booster session to guide you through the steps of how to know when to stay or get out of bed when you can’t sleep… all without thinking about time or looking at the clock! Click below for this audio booster session about when to get out of bed. Or, see the transcript of this audio file below.