How to implement sleep restriction and create a sleep window when your sleep is very inconsistent

YouTube Video VVVMNUxzTFVlVkEyal9Wc2w1NjI1c2hRLlpLdjFYczB2dTVn

Sleep restriction for insomnia involves allotting an appropriate amount of time for sleep based on your current average nightly sleep duration. Its goal is to build sleep drive to help you sleep at night and reduce the amount of time you spend awake during the night.<br /><br />Related video:<br /><br />The best things to do at night to help you sleep when you have chronic insomnia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6-zhzHdnSk<br /><br />I am often asked how to calculate a sleep window if your sleep pattern is very irregular. The answer is, you take your average sleep duration over the course of one or two weeks.<br /><br />So if a week pans out like this: 5 hours, 6 hours, 0 hours, 8 hours, 5 hours, 2 hours, and 9 hours, this would give you an average nightly sleep duration of 5 hours (35 hours of sleep divided by 7 nights). <br /><br />You'd then add around half an hour to this to get a sleep window of five-and-a-half hours. I usually suggest not having a sleep window shorter than around five-and-a-half hours since the goal of sleep restriction is not actually to restrict your sleep — you want to give yourself the opportunity to obtain at least a small amount of sleep.<br /><br />Next, decide on a final out of bed time and count back how much time you will be allotting for sleep to get the start of your sleep window. The start of your sleep window will be your earliest possible bedtime, and the end of your sleep window will be your final out of bed time.<br /><br />Related videos:<br /><br />Even if you have chronic insomnia, sleep drive always wins — you can sleep and you will sleep! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88YtI4WeNsQ<br /><br />How sleep restriction can improve sleep even when you're only getting a few hours of sleep: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k78UM6lHG_A<br /><br />How (and when) to change your sleep window when implementing sleep restriction for chronic insomnia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHlEojy410o<br /><br />When implementing sleep restriction for insomnia, it's OK to go to bed after the sleep window begins: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voxKYY7KaT4<br /><br />How to get out of bed at the same time every morning when living with chronic insomnia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1DPuRScZfg<br /><br />▶ Subscribe to the Insomnia Coach channel (and be sure to click the notification bell afterward so you don't miss any videos): http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL5LsLUeVA2j_Vsl5625shQ?sub_confirmation=1<br /><br />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 https://insomniacoach.com/sleep-training/?ref=youtube121919<br /><br />You can also find me here:<br /><br />Website: https://insomniacoach.com<br />Twitter: https://twitter.com/insomniacoach<br />Facebook: https://facebook.com/insomniacoach<br />Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myinsomniacoach/<br /><br />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.<br /><br />#insomnia<br />#sleep

How to implement sleep restriction and create a sleep window when your sleep is very inconsistent

Insomnia Coach 2.6K views December 20, 2019 2:02 am

Sleep restriction for insomnia involves allotting an appropriate amount of time for sleep based on your current average nightly sleep duration. Its goal is to build sleep drive to help you sleep at night and reduce the amount of time you spend awake during the night.

Related video:

The best things to do at night to help you sleep when you have chronic insomnia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6-zhzHdnSk

I am often asked how to calculate a sleep window if your sleep pattern is very irregular. The answer is, you take your average sleep duration over the course of one or two weeks.

So if a week pans out like this: 5 hours, 6 hours, 0 hours, 8 hours, 5 hours, 2 hours, and 9 hours, this would give you an average nightly sleep duration of 5 hours (35 hours of sleep divided by 7 nights).

You’d then add around half an hour to this to get a sleep window of five-and-a-half hours. I usually suggest not having a sleep window shorter than around five-and-a-half hours since the goal of sleep restriction is not actually to restrict your sleep — you want to give yourself the opportunity to obtain at least a small amount of sleep.

Next, decide on a final out of bed time and count back how much time you will be allotting for sleep to get the start of your sleep window. The start of your sleep window will be your earliest possible bedtime, and the end of your sleep window will be your final out of bed time.

Related videos:

Even if you have chronic insomnia, sleep drive always wins — you can sleep and you will sleep! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88YtI4WeNsQ

How sleep restriction can improve sleep even when you’re only getting a few hours of sleep: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k78UM6lHG_A

How (and when) to change your sleep window when implementing sleep restriction for chronic insomnia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHlEojy410o

When implementing sleep restriction for insomnia, it’s OK to go to bed after the sleep window begins: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voxKYY7KaT4

How to get out of bed at the same time every morning when living with chronic insomnia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1DPuRScZfg

▶ Subscribe to the Insomnia Coach channel (and be sure to click the notification bell afterward so you don’t miss any videos): http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL5LsLUeVA2j_Vsl5625shQ?sub_confirmation=1

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 https://insomniacoach.com/sleep-training/?ref=youtube121919

You can also find me here:

Website: https://insomniacoach.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/insomniacoach
Facebook: https://facebook.com/insomniacoach
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myinsomniacoach/

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.

#insomnia
#sleep