Found out only 12% of insomniacs actually get out of bed during a bad night and I've been doing it backwards for 8 months

Rowan Thomas · 2026-10-16T15:35:07.871417+00:00

Saw a sleep clinic handout at my dentist's office in Boise last Tuesday that said only 12% of people with insomnia get out of bed when they can't sleep, and the rest just lie there. I've been a lie-there person since January, sometimes 2 or 3 nights a week, staring at the ceiling from 1am to 4am. The handout said lying there trains your brain to link the bed with being awake, and that getting up after 20 minutes to do something boring in dim light works better. So for the past week I've been getting up and folding laundry in the kitchen when I hit that 20 minute mark. Three of the five nights I was back asleep within 40 minutes, which never happened when I just stayed put. Not saying it's magic, but I'm curious if the 12% number is real or just something they put on a flyer to sell sleep studies. Has anyone else tried the get-up-and-fold-socks thing, and did it stick after a couple months or wear off?

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Found out only 12% of insomniacs actually get out of bed during a bad night and I've been doing it backwards for 8 months | After Hours Honesty - Thought Shares