How microsleeps influence sleep drive and what you can do about them when you have chronic insomnia скачать в хорошем качестве

How microsleeps influence sleep drive and what you can do about them when you have chronic insomnia

Microsleeps are very short periods of sleep (usually less than 30 seconds) and occur when sleep intrudes on wakefulness. If you have chronic insomnia, it would be unusual for you to experience microsleeps during the day since excessive daytime sleepiness tends to be associated with other sleep disorders such as sleep apnea or narcolepsy. With that being said, if you are going through a course of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) and implementing techniques such as sleep restriction and stimulus control, you will probably begin to feel more sleepy in the short-term and this can lead to microsleeps occurring in the evening. Related videos: What is CBT for insomnia (CBT-I)?    • What is CBT for insomnia (CBT-I)?   How can sleep restriction improve sleep?    • How can sleep restriction improve sleep?   How stimulus control improves sleep if you live with chronic insomnia:    • How stimulus control improves sleep if you...   (Heightened sleepiness is actually a short-term goal of CBT-I since many people with chronic insomnia go to bed when they are feeling fatigued rather than sleepy and then struggle to fall asleep.) Since microsleeps are very short in duration, you may not even recognize when they occur — you might only know that you have fallen asleep when someone tells you! One or two microsleeps before your sleep window are unlikely to reduce sleep drive and affect your nighttime sleep too much. However, since they can be hard to recognize, if they occur frequently in the evening your total sleep duration can add up — and this could reduce sleep drive and make it harder to sleep when you go to bed. How to create a sleep window for insomnia:    • How to create a sleep window for insomnia   If you notice (or are told) that microsleeps are occurring with half-an-hour or so of the start of your sleep window, I suggest recognizing this as a sleepiness cue and simply going to bed. How a buffer zone can help you fall asleep when you are living with chronic insomnia:    • How a buffer zone can help you fall asleep...   If these microsleeps occur earlier in the evening, see if you can associate them happening with a specific activity. For example, if they tend to occur when watching TV on the couch then engaging in an alternative activity can help prevent microsleeps from occurring. If you experience early evening microsleeps for more than a couple of weeks, it may be worth advancing your sleep window so it begins (and ends) at an earlier time — since you may be a morning chronotype who is naturally hard-wired to fall asleep (and wake) earlier than others. A short 20-minute nap, taken early in the day, may also help reduce evening microsleeps while minimizing the effect on your nighttime sleep. Finally, you could also try experimenting with light therapy. Using a light box​ for 30 minutes around four hours before the start of your sleep window might be helpful. I have heard good things about the Philips goLITE BLU Energy Light Therapy Lamp and the Aura Light Therapy Lamp. ▶ Subscribe to the Insomnia Coach channel:    / @insomniacoach   My name is Martin Reed and I am the founder of Insomnia Coach®. I offer sleep coaching services that give people with insomnia all the skills and support they need to enjoy better sleep for the rest of their lives. I also offer a free two-week sleep training course for people with insomnia at https://insomniacoach.com/sleep-train... You can also find me here: Website: https://insomniacoach.com Twitter:   / insomniacoach   Facebook:   / insomniacoach   Instagram:   / myinsomniacoach   All content found on the Insomnia Coach YouTube channel is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice or medical treatment and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or other licensed healthcare provider. All content is provided as is, and without warranties. #microsleep #insomnia #sleep