Setting my sleep window

Getting Started with Sleep Scheduling: What You Need to Know

The idea of sleep scheduling can feel intimidating, especially when you might have the lingering belief that the longer time you spend in bed the most likely you are to sleep. But as we know, this is in fact a misconception! In reality, lying awake in bed can increase stress and anxiety, which raises your heart rate and body temperature, pushing sleep further away. It also leads our brain to associate the bedroom with somewhere to be awake and switched on.

But don’t worry - you’re not alone in this! We’re here to guide you through every step of sleep scheduling with personalised support, live clinics, and access to our care team (depending on your plan). Our goal is to make this as comfortable and sustainable for you, which is why your sleep schedule will be entirely personalised to you!

Firstly, it’s important to note that sleep scheduling is introduced at the right time in the program to ensure it works for you. The order of the program has been purposefully designed by our sleep experts to ensure you are taught all of the key behavioural changes you need before you start the next stage. You’ll be shown how to schedule in your 4th week, beginning with the lessons on day 22:

These lessons will teach you how to create a sleep schedule tailored to your unique sleep data. To accompany this, here are answers to some common questions to help you prepare:

1) I can’t find my sleep window - where is it?
As everyone's sleep schedule will be personalised to them, we give you the tools you need to work out your own. To learn how to create your sleep window, watch the "Intro to Window Scheduling" lesson on day 22. In short, your sleep window will be based on your previous full week of sleep data using the "average sleep time" calculated for you within your tracker. Please note: If this average is under 5 hours, start with a 5-hour window - we don't go below this!

2) How do I find my "average sleep time"?
Go to your sleep tracker’s home page and click "edit/add days" for your previous full week of sleep data. Scroll down to the "calculated numbers for the week" section to see your average sleep time. Please note: it is important to ensure you have a full week of sleep tracking data before beginning sleep scheduling so that your initial window is more accurate.

3) Can I start mid-week?
Yes! As long as you have a full week of tracked sleep, you can begin scheduling mid-week. If you do choose to start mid-week, simply start a new week in your tracker from the day you begin.

4) When I add 15 minutes to my sleep window, where should it go? Onto my bedtime or wake up time?
For further information on what to do once you reach 90% sleep efficiency at the end of a week of scheduling, please take a look at the "Take action! Changing your window" lesson on day 29. In summary, when it is time to add 15-minutes to your sleep window you can add it to either your going to bed time (making this 15-minutes earlier) or your wake up time (making this 15-minute later). The key is to be consistent with your choice i.e., if you add it to your going to bed time one week, do the same again going forward when you reach 90%.

5) How long does it take to increase my sleep window?
It’s completely understandable to wonder how long it will take to see progress. The truth is, the answer is different for everyone. Factors like your baseline sleep, environment, general health, and how consistently you stick to the golden rules and boosters all play a role. Because of this, there’s no "right" timeline - it’s a personal journey, and yours may look different from someone else’s.

Progress isn’t always linear, and that can be hard to accept when you’re working so hard to improve your sleep. Some people might find they can increase their sleep window after just one week of scheduling, while others may need several weeks to reach the same point. Later down the line, you might experience steady, week-by-week increases in your sleep window, or you may hit periods where your sleep efficiency fluctuates or even goes down significantly. Both scenarios - and everything in between - are completely normal.

So, how long will it take? It’s impossible to say - but what’s certain is that your brain will catch up. Trust the process, lean into the support we provide, and remember: this journey is about patience, consistency, and long-term results.

6) I've been scheduling for weeks but my sleep hasn't improved. What do I do?

The most important thing is to avoid getting caught up in week-to-week numbers. It’s tempting to check your sleep efficiency and judge your improvements based on this, but sleep retraining isn’t about quick fixes or immediate results. Instead, it’s about creating long-term, sustainable improvements in your sleep. Think of this as zooming out on the bigger picture - your goal isn’t just better sleep for the next week, but for the months and years to come.

If it's been a few weeks of sleep scheduling and you haven't yet reached 90% sleep efficiency, the most important thing is not to make any reactive changes to your behaviour. We know that changing our healthy sleep behaviours based on poor sleep is exactly how insomnia was perpetuated in the first place. These ups and downs are a natural part of the process, and they don’t mean you’re doing anything wrong. Instead, focus on what you can control: being consistent with the sleep scheduling process and following your golden rules and boosters consistently every day. You’re making progress, even if it doesn’t always feel like it. Stay the course - you’ve got this!

7) What if I’m not ready to start sleep scheduling?

That’s absolutely fine! The most important thing is to have the golden rules and boosters consistently in place before you start. If you’re not ready, you can keep selecting “no” to sleep scheduling when starting a new week of tracking until you feel prepared to begin.

Remember, sleep scheduling is about long-term improvement, not instant results. We’re here to help you every step of the way!