How Sleep Restriction Therapy Can Help You Cope With Insomnia
If you’ve dealt with insomnia, you probably know that therapy can be more beneficial than medication in the long term . One such option is sleep restriction therapy. Here’s how it works and why it can help with insomnia.
It sounds counterintuitive, but sleep restriction therapy shortens the time you spend in bed, so you end up getting more effective sleep. This method takes several weeks as you need to track your current average sleep time for a week and then limit the time you spend in bed to that time for a week or two. You then calculate your sleep efficiency (the actual amount of time you actually sleep) and adjust the time you spend in bed until you reach 80-90% efficiency. Watch the video above to learn exactly how to track and calculate your average total sleep time and sleep efficiency.
If you have other disorders, such as sleep-walking, this method may not be suitable for you, as reduced sleep may worsen these disorders. You may also have tough times at first, including fatigue and headaches, because it takes your body a while to adjust to a new approach to sleep. Test it first to see how you respond and if sleep restriction therapy is right for you.
Less sleep means better sleep? | Picture Fit (YouTube)