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Stimulus Control and CBTI

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBTI): Stimulus Control

This set of instructions addresses conditioned arousal. It was developed by Richard Bootzin. They are designed to strengthen the bed as a cue for sleep and weaken it as a cue for wakefulness. The key instructions are:

  • Establish a regular morning rise time. This will help strengthen the circadian clock regulating sleep and wakefulness. Ideally, bedtime should also be regular, but for people with insomnia it is impossible to actually fall asleep around the same time nightly. When insomnia resolves, regular bedtime can further strengthen the circadian rhythm.
  • Go to bed only when sleepy. This will increase the probability that you will fall asleep quickly. It is important to distinguish between fatigue and sleepiness. Fatigue is a state of low energy, physical or mental. Sleepiness is a state of having to struggle to stay awake. Dosing off while watching TV or as a passenger in a car involve sleepiness. People with insomnia often feel tired but "wired" (i.e. not sleepy) at bedtime.
  • If unable to fall asleep, either at the beginning or in the middle of the night, get out of bed and return to bed only when sleepy again.
  • Avoid excessive napping during the day. A brief nap (15 to 30 minutes), taken approximately 7 to 9 hours after rise time, can be refreshing and is not likely to disturb nocturnal sleep.

Clinics for Stimulus control