Does bedtime feel like hard work?
- Being exhausted all day but suddenly alert when you lie down
- Watching the clock and calculating how little sleep you have left
- Dreading what tomorrow will be like after another difficult night
- Trying every trick you can think of to force yourself to sleep
- Finding that even the thought of bedtime makes you tense
Periods of poor sleep are common. But when difficulty sleeping continues, the anticipation of another poor night can sometimes create extra pressure and arousal around bedtime.
The expectation of another bad night
You may begin to predict that you won't sleep and that you won't cope the next day. It makes sense to try harder, check the time or change your routine repeatedly—but those efforts can sometimes turn sleep into something you feel you must achieve.
How psychological work may help
We can look at the thoughts, routines, emotions and learned responses surrounding sleep. Hypnotherapy, imagery and relaxation may have a supportive role for some people, particularly where tension and anticipatory anxiety are prominent. They are not a guaranteed treatment for insomnia.
For persistent insomnia, cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is generally a first-line recommended approach. We can discuss how my work fits alongside that, or whether specialist sleep treatment would be more appropriate.
How will we know if things are improving?
- Less dread and pressure as bedtime approaches
- Less clock-watching and monitoring
- A calmer response to the occasional bad night
- Where possible, improved sleep and daytime functioning