Mentis- Go to bed only when you're sleepy, not just tired.
- Can't sleep after about 20 minutes? Get up, sit somewhere dim, do something dull, and go back when sleepy.
- Get up at the same time every morning, however the night went.
- This is stimulus control, recommended by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine for chronic insomnia.
How do you follow the get-up rule?
- Bed only when sleepy. Eyes heavy, head nodding. Not just "it's 11, I should sleep".
- Bed only for sleep (and sex). No work, scrolling or arguments in bed for now.
- Can't sleep? Get up. If you've been awake about 20 minutes, or you're getting frustrated, get up.
- Somewhere dim and dull. The living room, a chair, low light. Read a paper book, fold laundry, or play a calm audio.
- Back when sleepy. Repeat as many times as you need to.
- Same wake time. Up at your set time in the morning, however the night went. No naps for now.
Why does getting out of bed help you sleep?
Your brain learns by association. If you spend hours in bed awake, worrying, scrolling or watching the ceiling, bed becomes a cue for being awake. You might even notice you're sleepy on the sofa, then wide awake the moment you lie down. In the 1970s, psychologist Richard Bootzin developed stimulus control to undo that link: bed is only for sleep, so the brain relearns that bed means sleep.
It's one of the best-supported parts of cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). The American Academy of Sleep Medicine's 2021 guideline recommends stimulus control as a standalone treatment for chronic insomnia in adults (Edinger et al., 2021), and reviews of the evidence have supported it for decades (Morin et al., 2006).
When should you use it?
When it takes you a long time to fall asleep, or you wake in the night and can't get back. Pair it with hiding the clock, so you judge 20 minutes by feel, and with a fixed wake time, which builds the sleep pressure that makes it work.
Where is it in the Mentis app?
Chapter 6 of the Sleep plan, "Bed means sleep", is built around this rule. Its keystones are "Lie Down Only When Sleepy" and "Keep To My Sleep Window". The chapter also includes "How The Bed Learned To Keep You Awake", "Decide Where You'll Sit", a "Get-Up Rehearsal", and an audio story, "The Person Who Got Up".
Frequently asked questions
Why should I get out of bed if I can't sleep?
Because lying awake in bed teaches your brain that bed is a place for being awake: worrying, scrolling, tossing and turning. Getting up breaks that link, so over a few weeks bed becomes a cue for sleep again. This is called stimulus control.
How long should I wait before getting up?
About 20 minutes, judged by feel rather than by a clock. If you feel frustrated or wide awake, get up sooner.
What should I do when I get up?
Something calm and dull, in dim light: read a paper book, fold clothes, listen to a slow podcast or a Mentis wind-down audio. Avoid the phone feed, work and bright lights.
Will I be more tired at first?
Possibly, for the first week or so. That's expected. The tiredness builds sleep pressure, and most people find they fall asleep faster within a couple of weeks. Avoid driving if you're very sleepy.
- Bootzin RR (1972). Stimulus control treatment for insomnia. Proceedings of the American Psychological Association 7.
- Morin CM et al. (2006). Psychological and behavioral treatment of insomnia: update of the recent evidence (1998–2004). Sleep 29(11).
- Edinger JD et al. (2021). Behavioral and psychological treatments for chronic insomnia disorder in adults: an AASM clinical practice guideline. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine 17(2).