Why trying harder makes it worse

Sleep is the one thing you cannot achieve by effort. Every other problem in your life gets better when you concentrate on it; this one gets worse. The harder you try to fall asleep, the more awake you become, because trying is a state of alertness.

That is the whole trap. A bad night makes you worry about the next one, the worry keeps you awake, and now you have two problems: not sleeping, and being frightened of not sleeping. The second one is what turns a rough fortnight into years.

Name the second problem

1. Think back to last night. At what point did you start worrying about whether you would sleep?
2. Write down what you told yourself. "I have work tomorrow." "I will be useless again."
3. Notice that none of those thoughts were about being tired. They were about the consequences.