Category: SleepWell® Program

What should I do when I wake up in the middle of the night or wake up too early in the morning?

If you can’t go back to sleep within 10-15 minutes, get out of bed. Go to another room and sit in the dark or do an activity in dim light. After  20 minutes, go back to bed.

*  Read a book, magazine, or newspaper.

*  Knit, crochet, braid yarn, or practice tying knots.

*  Sit in dim, not bright, light.

*  Work on jigsaw or crosswords puzzles or play cards.

*  Avoid using a computer, tablet, or smartphone screen. The light from the screen can make you feel alert.

Create a basket of items to prepare for times you may wake up during the night. This can include a big sweater, blanket, slippers, a book, or other items that are listed above. If you can’t fall back asleep after 10-15 minutes, take the basket to another room and do one of your activities.

Do not associate your bed with being awake.

What are you willing to change? This program asks you to make changes to your routines, lifestyle habits, and sleep schedule.

As you become aware of your own habits, this guide will help you make changes to areas that keep you from getting quality sleep. Some of these changes may be easy; others may ask more of you. If you want to improve your sleep, the following ideas are important:

*Value the Change.It is important to address poor sleep. You must believe that you need to make this change and that changing your sleep will benefit you.

*Be patient.It takes time for certain changes to have an impact on your sleep habits. You may not notice a difference right away. Continue the new routine and use your SleepWell®Tracker.

*Experiment.Finding what works for you is also important. This includes seeking a deeper understanding of your current habits and trying different strategies to find what will make a difference for you. Reading a book may help you fall asleep. Or, reading may keep you up late when you can’t put the book (or electronic reader) down.

*Accept Real World Challenges.Finding a perfect way to sleep and avoid insomnia may not be possible. Over your lifetime, you will need to adapt to changing schedules and new challenges. These include work schedules, meal times, your own body clock, travel, aging, illness, and medications. Tools that work for a few months may not work long term. Equip yourself with many ideas and tools to be better prepared for a variety of situations and challenges.

Repeat This Statement Out Loud:

I am willing to be patient and to try different tools to help me sleep better. I believe sleep is very important to my health and well-being.

Learn to identify and dispute irrational thoughts. The following strategies help you break down thoughts that cause anxiety and make it hard for you to fall asleep.

Shades of Gray: Banish Black & White Thinking

Thinking in all-or-nothing terms using words like “always,” “never,” and “every” can lead to seeing situations and people in absolute terms. This thinking can make it difficult to see options. Logical thinking looks at more than one option. People can act in different ways. Situations can have many outcomes.

If you notice you are thinking in absolutes, identify alternatives to your black and white thoughts.

Tips for Rational Thinking

Use these tips to decide if an alternate thought is helpful for problem-solving. You can allow your thoughts and actions to cause anxiety or view them as a part of everyday life that you can manage.

1.  Ask: Is your thought based on facts?

2.  Identify what you are trying to do. Know your purpose.

3.  Consider many different outcomes and their effects.

4.  View the situation from many perspectives.

5.  Don’t assume a situation will have the same outcome as it did in the past.

6.  Have good evidence for a generalization before you make it.

7.  Avoid assuming one event caused another just because they happened at the same time.

Control Catastrophic Thinking

Seeing the worst possibility or outcome in a situation can lead to anxiety and racing thoughts. Avoid focusing on the negative aspects of a situation or how these could be even worse. The unknown future can seem scary and full of negative potential. Dispute each irrational thought with a rational one. Challenge your “worst case scenario” with a “best case scenario” and options in between.

*  What is statistically likely in this scenario?

*  What is the best this situation could turn out?

*  What can I do to reduce the chances of a situation getting worse?

Tune into changes in your mood and alertness. Use your SleepWell® Tracker to get daily feedback.

Anytime you are given a reward for something you do, chances are you will do it again. For example, if someone handed you a $100 bill each time you walked around the block, you would take a lot of walks. The $100 bill was a “reward” that reinforced your behavior.

Self-Reward. Give yourself a reward for working hard to improve your sleep.

*  Buy or pick flowers.

*  Picnic in the park.

*  Buy a magazine.

*  Call an old friend.

*  Watch your favorite movie.

Recognize Intrinsic Rewards. Many rewards are not things you can touch. Check the rewards you have received so far during the program.

*  I feel a sense of accomplishment.

*  I feel pride that I am following through on something I started.

*  I feel more refreshed and alert upon waking.

*  I think more clearly.

*  I react quicker.

*  I perform better at work.

*  I find it easier to make decisions.

*  I do not feel drowsy when I drive.

Avoid All Nicotine

Nicotine is a stimulant. Nicotine raises blood pressure, increases heart rate, and makes you feel more alert. Health problems from smoking, chewing, or vaping may make sleep more difficult.

QUITsmoking, chewing, or vaping. Nicotine withdrawal can cause you to wake up during the night, but this will go away. It is worth it to quit.

Alcohol

Alcohol may help you to fall asleep, but it will interfere with quality sleep. Alcohol can lead to lighter sleep and waking up often. All stages of sleep are affected, but deep sleep and REM sleep are most affected. You may not reach the sleep stages needed to feel restored and refreshed upon waking.

After drinking alcohol you may experience:

*  More dreaming

*  More nightmares

*  Faster heart rate

*  Sweating

*  Need to use the bathroom

Limit Alcohol

Don’t have more than one alcoholic drink with or after dinner. If you take sleep medicines or other medicines, ask your health care provider if you can have any alcohol. If you are taking sleep medicine, it can be extremely dangerous to drink alcohol.

Wait, I thought I am trying to sleep more? Yes-and this is going to help you. Sleep restriction means that you limit your time in bed only to when you are sleeping. This strategy can increase sleep drive (pressure to sleep) by creating a temporary state of sleep deprivation. You may feel extra sleepy the first few days. If you feel very sleepy, avoid driving or activities that require you to be alert.

Keep using your SleepWell® Tracker. You will not always need to restrict your time in bed or track your sleep. Remember, you are re-setting your body’s natural sleep drive. Your body can manage sleep when natural processes work properly.

Set Regular Sleep and Wake Times

Going to sleep and waking up at different times each day creates an artificial “jet lag” feeling in your body. A regular wake time helps the body maintain a regular circadian rhythm and strengthens sleep drive. Remember, both of these forces help you sleep well.

1. Choose a Time to Wake Up Every Day. Pick a time that you can maintain for all seven days of the week. It needs to be a realistic time for your work and personal life. Wake up at the same time even on days off and weekends. Wake up at the same time even if you did not sleep well or went to bed late.

2. Calculate Your Total Sleep Time. Average sleep per night subtract the average amount of time you woke up and got out of bed during the night. This will equal your total sleep time. * If your total sleep time is less than 5 hours, use 5 hours (do not go below this number).

3. Set Your Bedtime. Subtract your total sleep time from your wake time (go backwards from wake time). Add 30 minutes to this time. This allows for a normal time to fall asleep and brief awakenings. Calculate the bedtime you will follow for the next week. Your goal is to limit your time in bed to actual sleep time.

Whoa! I can’t stay up that late!

Your planned bedtime may seem very late to you. Remember, sleep restriction strengthens your natural sleep drive. Follow this bedtime for at least a week. Your ability to fall asleep at that time and to stay asleep should improve.

Increasing the time you are awake during the day will also increase your natural sleep drive. As your sleep improves, your bedtime will shift. You will eventually be in bed longer and sleep more restfully.

SleepWell® Program

QUICK LINKS: WEEK 1

If you have a few poor nights of sleep, shift back to a more restrictive sleep window to increase your sleep drive.

Recall what helped you to improve your sleep. Focus on these strategies to help re-set your healthy sleep.

Example:

*  Stay up late to increase sleep drive.

*  Get out of bed when you can’t sleep.

*  Clear your head by writing down your thoughts and worries.

*  Track your sleep.

You will never be back at “square one” because you have learned so many things about healthy sleep. If what you tried before does not work, go back through this guide and try new tools. You may need to use different skills to address the new challenge to your sleep.

See Slip-Ups in a Positive Light

No one is perfect. If you slip back into old habits, like watching TV late in bed, you may feel guilt or conflict. Also, you may view the slip-up as being due to a lack of willpower or strength. You may feel a sense of being helpless or hopeless. These feelings are not productive or motivating.

It is important to understand the feelings that relate to a slip-up. You have not failed. You now have a new challenge to address. Define a new goal. Apply what you already know. Seek out new skills, tools, or support that you need for success.