What is stimulus control?

Stimulus control is a more involved way to try to improve sleep. People with chronic insomnia may (over time) develop an unhealthy connection with their bedroom. Instead of connecting the bedroom with peacefulness or a good night’s sleep, it's connected with feeling frustrated or stressed. In these situations, stimulus control might be a good strategy. Stimulus control can:

• break the bad connections
• build healthy connections between sleep and the bedroom
• improve circadian rhythms
• help people who wake up at night to settle and get back to sleep faster

What do I need to do for stimulus control?

1. Only go to bed when you feel sleepy.
2. Use your bed only for sleep and intimacy—don’t do anything else in bed.
3. If you can’t fall sleep within 20 minutes, try relaxation exercises in bed or a chair in your bedroom (don't watch the clock to time the 20 minutes—if you reposition yourself about 2 or 3 times, that is likely about 20 minutes). If you feel sleepy after the relaxation, try to go to sleep again.
4. If you don't fall asleep, leave your bedroom. Go to another place in your home (keep the lights low) and do a calming activity like a crossword puzzle, jigsaw puzzle, or more relaxation. Go back to bed only when you feel sleepy.
5. Repeat step 4 during the night whenever you need to.
6. Set an alarm and get up at the same time every morning, even if you didn’t have a good sleep.
7. Don’t take daytime naps.​