If you have insomnia, you may be lying awake in bed for hours every night. The longer you’re awake, the more anxious you feel, and the less likely you are to fall asleep. When this happens, the best strategy is to get up for a while and only go back to bed when you feel sleepy. Reserving your bed as a sleep-only space can be a powerful strategy to break your insomnia cycle.
How to Sleep Better and Fix Insomnia in 30 Days
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What is Insomnia?
Short-term insomnia, which can last for a few days to a few weeks, is usually the result of routine stressors (e.g., job changes, financial worries, etc.) or schedule disruptions. Chronic or long-term insomnia occurs three or more nights per week, for three or more months without a specific cause.
Why Get Out of Bed When You Can’t Sleep?
If you cannot fall asleep after 15 to 20 minutes, try getting up. By staying awake in bed, you may be learning to associate bed with wakefulness, tension, or anxiety.
Breaking any negative associations with bed and re-establishing the relationship between bed and sleep is a recognized sleep strategy for those with insomnia.
What to Do After You Get Out of Bed
Whatever you choose to do during your time awake should never be stimulating or exciting. Opt for quiet and relaxing ways to spend time.
Activities to try include:
Activities to avoid include:
Only return to bed when you feel drowsy again, with heavy-lidded eyes lingering in closure.
How to Improve Your Sleep Habits
Avoid going to bed early to catch up on missed sleep. This can lead to more time spent awake before falling asleep, diminish your desire for sleep, and disrupt yourcircadian rhythm(the body’s internal 24-hour cycle).
When to See a Healthcare Provider
If you have tried strategies to improve your sleep without success, it may be time to speak with a healthcare provider.
It’s a good idea to seek treatment if you routinely:
It may be especially helpful to consult asleep specialistor acognitive behavioral therapistwho specializes in insomnia.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBTI)Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI) is a four- to six-session treatment program that helps those with insomnia. You can find a CBTI specialist near you through theAmerican Academy of Sleep Medicine.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBTI)
Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI) is a four- to six-session treatment program that helps those with insomnia. You can find a CBTI specialist near you through theAmerican Academy of Sleep Medicine.
Summary
5 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Insomnia.Sleep Doctor.Sleep Disorder: An Overview.Madrid-Valero JJ, Rubio-Aparicio M, Gregory AM, Sánchez-Meca J, Ordoñana JR.The heritability of insomnia: Systematic review and meta-analysis of twin studies.Sleep Med Rev. 2021;58:101437. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2021.101437Birling Y, Li G, Jia M, et al.Is insomnia disorder associated with time in bed extension?Sleep Sci. 2020;13(4):215-219. doi:10.5935/1984-0063.20200089National Sleep Foundation.What causes insomnia?.
5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Insomnia.Sleep Doctor.Sleep Disorder: An Overview.Madrid-Valero JJ, Rubio-Aparicio M, Gregory AM, Sánchez-Meca J, Ordoñana JR.The heritability of insomnia: Systematic review and meta-analysis of twin studies.Sleep Med Rev. 2021;58:101437. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2021.101437Birling Y, Li G, Jia M, et al.Is insomnia disorder associated with time in bed extension?Sleep Sci. 2020;13(4):215-219. doi:10.5935/1984-0063.20200089National Sleep Foundation.What causes insomnia?.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Insomnia.Sleep Doctor.Sleep Disorder: An Overview.Madrid-Valero JJ, Rubio-Aparicio M, Gregory AM, Sánchez-Meca J, Ordoñana JR.The heritability of insomnia: Systematic review and meta-analysis of twin studies.Sleep Med Rev. 2021;58:101437. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2021.101437Birling Y, Li G, Jia M, et al.Is insomnia disorder associated with time in bed extension?Sleep Sci. 2020;13(4):215-219. doi:10.5935/1984-0063.20200089National Sleep Foundation.What causes insomnia?.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Insomnia.
Sleep Doctor.Sleep Disorder: An Overview.
Madrid-Valero JJ, Rubio-Aparicio M, Gregory AM, Sánchez-Meca J, Ordoñana JR.The heritability of insomnia: Systematic review and meta-analysis of twin studies.Sleep Med Rev. 2021;58:101437. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2021.101437
Birling Y, Li G, Jia M, et al.Is insomnia disorder associated with time in bed extension?Sleep Sci. 2020;13(4):215-219. doi:10.5935/1984-0063.20200089
National Sleep Foundation.What causes insomnia?.
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