Sleep Science Today

Why can’t you simply force yourself to sleep? In this episode of Sleep Science Today, Andrew Colsky JD, LPC talks with UK behavioral sleep specialist and airline pilot Mark Dobson about insomnia, sleep effort, and how our attempts to control sleep can sometimes keep the problem going.
Mark explains how Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) approaches the behaviors and patterns that can contribute to persistent insomnia. They discuss conditioned wakefulness, stimulus control, sleep restriction, and why spending too much time in bed can reinforce unhelpful sleep patterns.
The conversation also explores the role of sleep trackers, clock watching, and constantly monitoring sleep. Mark explains how focusing too much on sleep data can increase anxiety and make people more focused on whether they are sleeping rather than allowing sleep to happen naturally.
Mark also shares his experience working in aviation and discusses the sleep challenges faced by airline pilots, cabin crew, air traffic controllers, engineers, and others who work irregular schedules. They explore circadian rhythms, limited sleep opportunities, and the importance of looking at sleep across the full 24-hour period.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why sleep cannot simply be forced or controlled
How CBT-I addresses behaviors that can maintain insomnia
What stimulus control and sleep restriction involve
How sleep trackers and clock watching can increase sleep anxiety
Why spending too much time in bed can reinforce insomnia patterns
How shift work and irregular schedules affect sleep
Why circadian rhythms matter for people with changing schedules
How sleep-disordered breathing can coexist with insomnia
Why changing your relationship with sleep can be an important part of recovery
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Mark Dobson03:00 Sleep and Aviation08:00 Understanding CBT-I14:00 Stimulus Control and Sleep Restriction20:00 Sleep Trackers and Sleep Anxiety27:00 Why You Cannot Force Sleep34:00 Shift Work and Circadian Rhythms40:00 Sleep and Mental Health47:00 Improving Your Relationship With Sleep
Mark Dobson is a UK-based behavioral sleep specialist and airline pilot with more than 20 years of flying experience. His work focuses on CBT-I, insomnia, shift work, circadian rhythm issues, and sleep-disordered breathing.
Listen to Sleep Science Today for science-based conversations about insomnia, sleep quality, circadian rhythms, and the factors that influence healthy sleep.

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Subscribe for weekly sleep science breakdowns, and tell us in the comments what specific sleep topic you want us to cover next.

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