Conditioned arousal

Topic

Conditioned arousal is a psychological and physiological phenomenon where an individual's sleep environment, such as the bed or bedroom, becomes associated with wakefulness, frustration, or anxiety rather than sleep. This classical conditioning process often develops during periods of chronic sleep difficulties, causing the individual to feel alert and wide awake as soon as they attempt to go to bed. It is a primary perpetuating factor in psychophysiological insomnia and is commonly targeted in treatment using stimulus control therapy.