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Re: musings on conditioned insomnia, SR

Posted by beth on November 13, 2002 at 06:30:52:

In Reply to: Re: musings on conditioned insomnia, SR posted by Lee on November 12, 2002 at 08:31:07:

Lee, stimulus control techniques refers to the learned cues, or stimuli, in our environment. For good sleepers, the bed is a strong cue for sleep, but for insomniacs, the bed and bedroom often become strong cues for sleepnessness, because they have lain awake for so many nights. That's why the experts recommend not using your bedroom for anything but sleep and sex. stimulus control basically means that you should only get in bed when you are drowsy, and never try to force sleep.
the goal is to associate the bed with sleep. If you don't fall asleep within 20 to 30 minutes, or if you wake up in the night and don't fall back to sleep within that time, (estimate rather than looking at a clock, which causes more anxiety) you are supposed to get up or sit up and read until you feel drowsy again. Then attempt to go to sleep again. this has to be repeated as often as necessary until you fall asleep.

It can be hard to do, but it does seem to work. When my insomnia was at its worst, just walking into my bedroom and seeing my bed (even during the day) made me feel anxious. however, leaving the room and going up and down the stairs over and over all night was not really helping me either. the compromise that finally worked for me is to go to a small couch that i am lucky to have in my bedroom and read there. i have a spare pillow, blanket, book and little book light there so i am all set up whenever i need it. i also read there every night right before I get in bed, usually only for about 15 minutes or so.

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