Stimulus Control

Your mind is very powerful. How you link things affects how you behave in a particular situation. When you walk into a dark room, you probably look for a light switch. When you always watch TV in bed a lot, you probably reach for the remote as soon as you go to bed. Habits and routines get stronger as you repeat them.

You are not locked in to these patterns. You can train your brain to respond to cues in a different way. Stimulus control is part of cognitive-behavioral therapy, an effective and well-researched sleep enhancement strategy.

Be patient with yourself. It may take several weeks of repeating a new routine for it to seem normal.

What’s On Your Mind?

Walk into your bedroom. What are you thinking about? How do you feel? Are you worried about another sleepless night? Are you thinking about everything that needs to be done tomorrow? Are you remembering an angry discussion that happened in this room last month?

Removing the link between your bedroom and negative, unpleasant thoughts takes time.

Associate Your Bed with Sleep

*  Limit your bedroom activities to sleep and sex. While sex is stimulating for most people, it may help you sleep as well. This is the only activity other than sleep that should be allowed in your bed.

*  Complete work and pay bills in another room. Don’t use the bedroom as a home office.

*  If you can’t avoid working in the bedroom:

– Don’t sit on the bed while you work.

– Sit in a chair facing away from the bed.

– Put all work materials away or cover them so you can’t see them at bedtime.

*  Have difficult conversations in another room.

*  If possible, have your partner give you a massage or back rub. Take deep breaths and clear your mind.