SleepShift

The program

Eight weeks.
A different kind of sleep.

The complete phase-by-phase breakdown of the SleepShift CBT-I program. What happens. Why it happens. What you do.

Reviewed by Dr. Candice Seti, Psy.D.

Licensed Clinical Psychologist · Certified Insomnia Treatment Clinician

Protocol phasesHardest phaseCompletion
1
Phase 1

Baseline

Sleep diary only

What you do

  • Log your sleep every morning — time in bed, sleep onset, awakenings, wake time, quality rating
  • No protocol changes. No restrictions. Just data.
  • After your first two logged nights, your provisional sleep window arrives — confirmed once about five nights of data exist.
Why: Why log first? Less data means inaccurate averages. SleepShift needs a few nights of your real sleep to calculate your starting window correctly.

This is where SleepShift establishes your baseline sleep efficiency — the number that determines your starting sleep window. Most new users discover their efficiency is between 55–75%. That's normal. That's what we're fixing.

2
Phase 2Hardest phase

Restriction Begins

Your sleep window is set

What you do

  • Your provisional sleep window — calculated from your first logged nights — takes effect, and is confirmed around night five.
  • Stimulus control rules are introduced and active: bed only for sleep, consistent wake time, get up if awake.
  • Complete the daily stimulus control checklist.
  • Continue your sleep diary every morning.
Important: This is the hardest phase. Expected: daytime fatigue, irritability, increased nighttime wakefulness initially. This is normal. This is the protocol working — sleep pressure is building. Do not extend your sleep window early.

Your wake time is fixed from this point forward. Your bedtime is calculated backward from your wake time based on your window — which is never set below the 5.5-hour safety floor. This may feel very late at first.

3
Phase 3

First Adjustment + Cognition

Window review and restructuring begins

What you do

  • First end-of-phase check-in: your efficiency over the last 7 days is reviewed, and your window extends if you're at 85% or above.
  • Cognitive restructuring module begins. First guided session: identifying your primary sleep distortion.
  • Continue diary and stimulus control checklist.

Most people see their first window extension during this phase. Even a 15-minute extension feels significant. The cognitive restructuring session takes 10–15 minutes and is structured — not a free chat.

4
Phase 4

Momentum

Protocol adjustments continuing

What you do

  • Second end-of-phase check-in and window adjustment.
  • Second cognitive restructuring session. Focus: challenging catastrophic thinking.
  • Continue diary and stimulus control.

By Phase 4, most participants have had at least one window extension. Sleep onset latency (how long it takes to fall asleep) typically decreases noticeably.

5
Phase 5

Consolidation

Sleep pattern stabilizing

What you do

  • Third end-of-phase check-in and window adjustment.
  • Third cognitive restructuring session. Focus: performance anxiety and reframing bad nights.
  • Continue diary and stimulus control.

Efficiency is above 85% for most users by Phase 5. The sleep window continues to extend. Nighttime awakenings typically decrease in both frequency and duration.

6
Phase 6

Refinement

Deep work on patterns

What you do

  • Fourth end-of-phase check-in and adjustment.
  • Fourth cognitive restructuring session. Focus: relapse prevention thinking.
  • Identify your personal high-risk situations for insomnia relapse.

Your sleep window is approaching your natural sleep need. The focus shifts from restriction to maintenance. Relapse prevention planning begins in earnest.

7
Phase 7

Near-Complete

Final adjustments

What you do

  • Fifth end-of-phase check-in and final window adjustment.
  • Fifth cognitive restructuring session. Focus: building the long-term plan.
  • Draft your post-program maintenance schedule.

For most participants, the sleep window is now very close to their target. This phase focuses on transitioning from protocol to maintenance.

8
Phase 8Program complete

Program Complete

Long-term plan and lifetime access to your program data

What you do

  • Final end-of-phase check-in.
  • Personalized maintenance summary generated.
  • Your full 8-week sleep efficiency graph.
  • Relapse prevention guide and high-risk scenario planning.
  • Lifetime access to your program data after completion.

What you get at program completion: a clear maintenance plan, a full 8-week efficiency graph, a relapse prevention guide, and 3 months of post-program check-ins included.

Post-program maintenance

After completing the 8-week program, you move to maintenance mode. This means weekly check-ins only — no new protocol requirements — designed to keep the habits stable and catch any early signs of relapse.

  • 3 months of maintenance included with your membership
  • Weekly check-in to monitor efficiency
  • Designed for habit maintenance, not re-treatment
  • If insomnia returns, you can restart the program anytime while your membership is active

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