What NOT to do if you have insomnia

Trouble Sleeping?

Do you find yourself tossing and turning night after night? Have you read everything you can find, tried all the “tips” and still haven’t found relief?

You might have insomnia.

Many people are surprised to find out that what they are struggling with is insomnia. For sleep troubles to qualify as true insomnia you simply need to be experiencing difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep for the past few months.

Insomnia Criteria

• Difficulty falling asleep

• Difficulty staying asleep

• Early morning wake ups

• Sleep difficulty lasting at least 3 months

Even more surprising is that the numerous “tips” shared online for sleep aren’t actually very helpful for insomnia. Here are a few things you should not do if you have insomnia.

What NOT to do if you have insomnia:

• Nap

• Go to bed at the same time each night

• Worry too much about blue light

• Look at the clock

Let’s dig into these more:

First of all - no napping! Unless you are unable to function safely, naps are awful for night time sleep. They use up the sleep pressure that you actually need to help you fall asleep and stay asleep. Sure, they help you get through the day after a rough night of sleep. But ultimately they’re stealing from future sleep and continuing the sleep troubles.

Second, do not go to bed at the same time each night. Sometimes when working with an insomnia client we find out that they’re trying to go to bed at a time that just doesn’t work for their body clock. Other times I find out that someone is going to bed early in hopes of catching up on sleep but they’re actually not tired yet. When struggling with insomnia, it is important to go to bed when you feel sleepy (not just tired).

Third, blue light isn’t usually the issue and doesn’t often fix the sleep issue. So go ahead and enjoy some TV or mindless scrolling before bed.

Finally, the dreaded clock. Everyone does it. You wake up and you want to know what time it is, you want to know how much longer you have to sleep. But all this does is create anxiety and pressure that you need to fall back asleep now so that you get “enough” sleep for the next day, which never helps. So if you wake up, resist the urge to look at the clock.

So what should you do if you have insomnia?

Schedule an appointment. Because then we can come up with a plan that work for your body, your schedule, and your needs.

CBT-I (cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia) is the very best treatment for insomnia. The good news is that it’s simple, straightforward, and often pretty quick. The downside is that you’ll likely feel tired for a bit of the process, and not many people are trained specifically in insomnia.

If you’re struggling to fall asleep more nights than not, schedule an appointment and let’s get you back on track!