Headache Management: Sleep Strategies

Sleep Restriction

What is sleep restriction?

Sleep restriction is another more involved strategy to improve sleep. People who don’t sleep well might think staying in bed longer will help them get enough sleep. This usually doesn’t work. If you wake up often at night, think about sleep restriction. It helps change many short periods of sleep into one long period of unbroken sleep.

Sleep restriction isn’t easy to do. Talk to a sleep psychologist or doctor to decide if it’s right for you.
Research shows that sleep restriction can help improve sleep, but it can sometimes cause side effects like headaches, sleepiness, and low energy.
If you decide to try sleep restriction, ask your healthcare provider about driving or operating machinery.

How can I try sleep restriction?

Find out your average hours of sleep per night from your sleep diaries and add 30 minutes. This is how long you need to stay in bed.
Set your alarm for the time you need to wake up. Decide your bedtime based on how long you need to stay in bed. For example, if you need to get up at 6 a.m. and your diary shows you need to stay in bed for 6 1/2 hours (6 hours of average sleep plus 30 minutes), go to bed at 11:30 p.m .

Don’t ever set your time in bed for less than 5 1/2 hours.

Keep sleep diaries so you can figure out your sleep efficiency. Sleep efficiency is a way to measure the quality of your sleep and helps you know when you can slowly start to go to bed earlier (see box below to learn how to calculate your sleep efficiency). When your sleep efficiency is at least 85 to 90%, you can go to bed 15 to 30 minutes earlier. Once your sleep efficiency reaches 85 to 90% again, you can go to bed another 15 to 30 minutes earlier and so on.

How to Calculate Your Sleep Efficiency

Take the actual time you’re asleep (in hours) and divide it by the total time you’re in bed (in hours). Multiply this number by 100%.

For example, if you were asleep for 6 hours and were in bed for 10 hours, your sleep efficiency would be:

6 / 10 x 100% = 60%

To learn more about sleep restriction, watch this video.

Current as of: July 9, 2018

Author: Calgary Headache Assessment and Management Program, Alberta Health Services

This material is not a substitute for the advice of a qualified health professional. This material is intended for general information only and is provided on an "as is", "where is" basis. Although reasonable efforts were made to confirm the accuracy of the information, Alberta Health Services does not make any representation or warranty, express, implied or statutory, as to the accuracy, reliability, completeness, applicability or fitness for a particular purpose of such information. Alberta Health Services expressly disclaims all liability for the use of these materials, and for any claims, actions, demands or suits arising from such use.

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