Trouble falling back asleep
I've recently been waking up after sleeping for a few hours, and been having trouble getting back to sleep. It seems like I feel to anxious to fall back asleep, and I end up having to watch tv or something to fall asleep again.
I spent the weekend watching a friend's house while he was out of town, and didn't have this problem at all. If i woke up for anything, I fell back asleep quickly.
Any idea why this is happening, and what I can do?
Posted Apr 18, 2019, 8:32 AM UTC
21
It's possible you have developed a conditioned or evolved form of insomnia, likely from many frustrating hours spent tossing and turning in bed. When at your friend's you had none of those learned negative associations, hence your improved sleep.
You might try limiting your time in bed to the very minimum you need for proper sleep, avoid napping, and don't let yourself sleep in. Doing that has the effect of consolidating your sleep into one more or less solid block of time. If and when you awaken, try some in-bed relaxation methods to help fall back asleep. And if you sleep rough one night, be confident your sleep drive is stronger for better sleep the next.
For a full structured sleep improvement program, the gold standard is a CBT sleep training program. It is a comprehensive, permanent solution for most.