Apply stimulus control therapy rules

Steps

1. If you wake and cannot fall back asleep within 15-20 minutes, get out of bed
2. Go to another room with dim lighting and do something calm (read, light stretching)
3. Return to bed only when you feel sleepy again
4. Repeat as many times as needed

Why It Works

Stimulus control is a core component of CBT-I, the gold-standard insomnia treatment. Lying awake in bed trains your brain to associate the bed with wakefulness and frustration. Leaving the bed breaks this association and rebuilds the bed-sleep connection over time.

Tips

• Do not check the clock — clock-watching increases anxiety about lost sleep
• Avoid screens during these wake periods; use a dim lamp and a physical book
• This technique feels counterintuitive at first but is one of the most effective behavioral interventions for sleep maintenance insomnia