Do you count uninterrupted sleep or total nightly sleep when coming up with an initial sleep window?

Описание: If you are creating an initial sleep window to build sleep drive and reduce the amount of time you spend awake during the night, it's helpful to figure out your average nightly duration based on how much sleep you've been getting over the past week or two.

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You do not need to count only uninterrupted sleep when determining an initial sleep window. So, just figure out how much sleep you get on an average night, add around half-hour to this to allow some time for sleep onset and nighttime wakefulness and you will have an initial sleep window.

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Alternatively, you can simply determine roughly how much sleep you think you need to feel good during the day (not how much sleep you would like to get — just the minimum amount you feel you need to get you through the day) and create an initial sleep window based on that.

(I would suggest not giving yourself an initial sleep window of less than five to five-and-a-half hours since you still want to give yourself the opportunity for a certain amount of sleep.)

Finally, remember that your initial sleep window isn't something you'll be observing forever. As your sleep improves, you will be gradually extending the sleep window — so although the short duration of your initial sleep window might be quite shocking, it's not something you'll need to follow for the rest of your life!

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You can read more about how to establish a sleep window and why they can be so helpful right here: https://insomniacoach.com/sleep-restr...

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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...

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