Stimulus Control Therapy to combat insomnia

I have trouble falling asleep. Especially when the next day I have an exam or a sports competition. I get nervous just thinking that I have to get up early and that I have X hours to wake up.

That thought is enough to generate a state of anxiety and nerves that prevent me from falling asleep. In those moments I try to keep a cool mind and tell myself that I have no obligation to be studying a second degree. I do it for fun. The same goes for sports. I have no obligation to participate in any competition. However I get nervous and I can't help it.

I am aware that neither the exams nor the competitions themselves are what upset me. I know this because once I open my eyes after having a good night, my nerves have disappeared. I go to competitions or exams without any kind of nerves or pressure. However, during the night before I can't help certain thoughts ... what if I don't fall asleep all night and tomorrow I'm exhausted and I can't enjoy the competition?

It would be a shame after all that I have trained. What if I don't fall asleep and tomorrow I won't be able to concentrate during the exam? It would be a waste of time after all these months of study.

I am aware that they are unfounded fears since, except for rare occasions, none of these fears have been fulfilled. In the end I have always managed to fall asleep and have a good night. As the years go by, I get less and less nervous and fall asleep earlier..

Perhaps one of the reasons that I am managing to overcome this problem is that I read everything that falls into my hands about improving sleep. I recently came across an article that explains a system of 6 steps to fall asleep quickly. This system is based on theories of Conditioning and Learning and is called "Stimulus Control Therapy".

Stimulus Control Therapy

This therapy has been developed by Professor Richard R. Bootzin and consists of 6 easy-to-follow steps:

1. Lie in bed only when you are sleepy

2. Use the bed only to sleep. Reading, watching TV, eating or worrying in bed is prohibited. The only exception is having sex.

3. If you go to bed and cannot fall asleep immediately, get up and go to the living room. Stay there as long as you like until you feel sleepy again. Then head back to bed. If it takes you more than 10 minutes to fall asleep again, go back to the living room for a bit more. The goal is to associate the bed with falling asleep quickly..

4. If you still can't sleep, repeat step 3. Do this again as many times as necessary during the night. In the end you will be able to fall asleep even from tiredness and boredom.

5. Set the alarm at the same time each morning, regardless of the time you fell asleep. In this way, your body will acquire a consistent sleep rhythm..

6. Don't sleep during the day, not even a little nap.

Why does this therapy work?

This therapy is based on classical Pavlovian conditioning. You know, the story of the dog that salivated at the sound of the bell. To adapt the concept, it is only necessary to replace "bell" with "bed" and "salivate" with "sleep"..

Our actions and thoughts are associated with the stimuli that surround us. We learn to react in a certain way to certain stimuli.

If you learn to worry in bed, you will associate the bed with worry. If, on the other hand, you learn to fall asleep quickly, you will begin to associate the bed with falling asleep quickly..