Ditch the bedside clock

Until a bout a week ago, I never went to sleep without a bedside clock being available. I have read so many threads with so much good information that I missed this tip, but.... get rid of any clocks around your bed! Why? Well for me, before CPAP, I would get up about every two hours and I knew this because I was always aware of the time. My AHI at titration was 98.6 so no wonder I woke up a lot (or more accurately, slept very little). I think I developed "sleep anxiety" which just made getting back to sleep that much more difficult.

So a week ago I removed the bedside clock, so now I have no idea what time it is when I make a bathroom run, and most importantly, I am not aware of the time while trying to get back to sleep. My sleep time is now completely free of "time." I have to use SH for the night to see what the time intervals are between trips to the bathroom. Last night I got up once..... ONCE! Went to bed at 10:30, got up at 2:30 for bathroom, slept until 6:30. I still have insomnia issues, but I think things are improving on that score.

So as a newbie (30 days worth) there's not much I can contribute to this excellent forum, but i thought I would just underscore how important it is to eliminate any time devices during sleep time. It's helping me and I hope it will help others too.

So you think being an ostrich is helpful here (I get what you're saying, but...?

I do.

One of the first things that people with insomnia issues are told is "no clock watching"...turn those clocks around so you can't see the time if you wake up.
People clock watch and start stressing over how long it takes them to get back to sleep and that makes the insomnia monster really stand up and be annoying and it takes even longer to get back to sleep. Vicious little cycle.

So for people who are known to have trouble falling asleep....no clock watching is usually one of the first pieces of advice they get because it just adds to the stress levels.

You're right, I should stop looking at my clock at 2 am.
Why do we need to see the time in the dark (not really dark, because of glow) There should be an LED clock that turns off it's display after a few minutes of the bedroom lights turning off. Touch any button on the clock to display time.

For example, when you develop the seemingly useful but actually useless learned behavior of looking at a clock in the middle of the night and counting the hours of lost sleep or the hours of desperately hoped-for sleep, not only are you not sleeping, you instead are engaged in the wakeful, learned behavior of time monitoring and calculating. As much as you might argue you want to sleep, in the heat of the battle you are engaged in an active behavior that can only be attempted while awake.

A simple one-night experiment helps break the sleep-time connection: • Turn the clock in your bedroom to face the wall so you can never see what time it is during the night (you can still use the alarm). • If awake at any point in the night, make absolutely no attempt to: • determine what time it might be; • calculate how many hours of sleep you have obtained; • figure out how many hours of sleep you may still get; • figure out how long it will take to fall asleep or back to sleep. • In sum, completely eliminate behaviors at bedtime or at night that have anything to do with time or calculations.

Use the SOLO technique to pace yourself through the program. Consider this technique as a basic yet critical tool, placed on top of all other tools in your sleep recovery toolbox. When you start a new step, first pull out this tool. The SOLO acronym means: S = Stop doing (for a few seconds to a few minutes). O = Observe yourself; know your mind. L = Let yourself be; just breathe. O = Observe yourself; know your body.

Krakow, Barry (2007-09-28). Sound Sleep, Sound Mind: 7 Keys to Sleeping Through the Night (pp. 69-70).

One of the 7 keys to sleeping through the night.
SOLO can set you adrift in the night.

I don't have trouble getting to sleep. my bedroom clock is going nowhere.

My problem has never been a clock, I have three in the bedroom, one Atomic Clock (No Light), a normal orange alarm clock, a third the project the time on the ceiling with a laser beam.

My problem is shutting off my mind. Jim

I put something in front of the clock face, where I need to sit up to tell the time.
Laziness helps me resist the temptation, while I know I can see it if it is important.
We slso replaced the mini blinds with light filtering curtains to reduce outside light intrusion.

Goof: why three clocks?

Sheriff

Did not look at the clock last night. Set the alarm an hour before bedtime.
Found a clock that has a screen dimming feature, I like your easy suggestions about turning it away, or blocking it with something.

I should have included in the subject: "For those with insomnia..."

And... by "ditch" I meant not visible. I have an iPhone charging cradle to charge the phone during the night. I still do that, but do not have the "clock' feature showing, so now when I go to bed or get up I don't know the time.

Sheriff Buford wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 20, 2018 4:22 am

Goof: why three clocks?

Sheriff

I want to see which one wins. Atomic adjust from world time, never needs reset battery power, on wall. Big number Orange so I can see the numbers. Laser no display shining, except for numbers on ceiling. Too shots at waking me to get to appts. Lately been using my Android Tablet as alarm clock, easy to set.

Night Table: My "TANK" xpap, My De-Fib call home transmitter, My T.V. BOX and 4 USB Drives, Suppressed Power Strip. Remote for A/C, Remote for T.V.Box, Remote for T.V, A Led Swan Light, a USB powered Fan.

Not much real-estate left. So that's 1 of 3 tables side by side, (The Walther PPK is in the one next to it ) Also 28 oz of Ice Water, 6 Hershey Kisses, 1 Reese Cup pack of two, just in case the Insulin Guess goes wild. Jim

I won't tell you where the Assault shotgun or Rifle are, got to keep them guessing.

If this is your problem, then yes it's a good idea. However, don't forget to make sure the alarm clock goes off at the right time.