One common mistake made by insomnia sufferers involves their approach to waking up in the morning. If it takes you several hours to fall asleep, once you get to sleep you want to get all you can!  Who wouldn’t?  The real problem begins when our alarm goes off.  Once we hear that alarm, we remember how little sleep we got.  The we have to decide whether to get up or whether to treat ourselves to some more sleep.  For people with chronic insomnia who have chosen a healthy regular bedtime and wake time schedule for themselves, it is better to get up when the alarm goes off.  Will this be an appealing option at the time? No. But it will help set the stage for a better night of sleep the next night.

This has been the first in a series of insomnia tips from the Manhattan Center for CBT.