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"More than a third of Americans are not getting enough sleep on a regular basis. Sleeping less than seven hours a day is associated with an increased risk of developing chronic conditions such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, and frequent mental distress"
-Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT, SAID, FELT, TWEETED, POSTED, TEXTED…
-“I feel so tired that I can barely keep my eyes open, but the moment my head hits the pillow, I’m wide awake!”
-”I feel fine all day, but then when I lie in bed at night, my mind won’t shut off!”
-”I wake up at 3 or 4 a.m., then can’t fall back to sleep...sometimes for hours!”
-”I take sleeping pills and they work fine at first, but after a couple of weeks, I’m back to where I started.”
-”I only have to wake up at 7 a.m., yet I wake up at 5 a.m. every morning and just lie there!”
If yes to any of the above, you may be struggling with Insomnia.
What is Insomnia?
Simply stated, Insomnia is a fear of not being able to sleep. This fear can cause problems with falling asleep, staying asleep, or a person’s sleep schedule. Because of the importance of sleep to overall health, worrying about a lack of it is not completely irrational. This fear, however, can cause people to become trapped in a cycle of worry that is problematic because it often becomes self-perpetuating.
What are the Symptoms of Insomnia?
It is believed that 5% to 15% of adults meet criteria for Insomnia Disorder, while 33% to 50% of adults report dissatisfaction with sleep. Even if a person doesn’t meet the criteria for Insomnia Disorder any symptom of insomnia can cause significant problems and can treated with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia.
Insomnia symptoms may include:
Why am I Struggling with Insomnia?
There is likely a number of reasons why you may be struggling with the symptoms of Insomnia:
What Treatments Work for Insomnia?
Present research indicates that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is more effective than sleep medications for the treatment of insomnia. Unlike many mental health disorders, CBT-I can actually “cure” insomnia for many people. 100% of insomnia patients who complete a CBT-I program report improved sleep and 75% become normal sleepers. 91% of CBT-I patients reduce the use of sleeping pills and 40% discontinue sleeping medications entirely.
A course of CBT-I typically includes the following components:
1. Psychoeducation: Patients are taught about the components of good sleep (e.g. stages of sleep, circadian rhythms, effects of diet, exercise, body temperature, sunlight, aging, food and medications).
2. Sleep Hygiene: Sleep patterns and environment are analyzed and patients are instructed how to adjust these variables to result in improved sleep. The focus is on activities that enhance and/or harm sleep in the hours before bedtime.
3. Cognitive Components: Patients learn to identify their “automatic negative sleep thoughts” and to replace them with “positive, accurate and helpful sleep thoughts”. We dispel common sleep misperceptions and maladaptive assumptions.
4. Behavioral Modification: Through sleep restriction, which is designed to retrain the brain to desire sleep, patients learn to focus on their sleep efficiency (ratio of amount of time asleep to amount of time in bed) rather than absolute amount of time sleeping. Sleep efficiency has been shown to be the best predictor of the quality of sleep.
HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT, SAID, FELT, TWEETED, POSTED, TEXTED…
-“I feel so tired that I can barely keep my eyes open, but the moment my head hits the pillow, I’m wide awake!”
-”I feel fine all day, but then when I lie in bed at night, my mind won’t shut off!”
-”I wake up at 3 or 4 a.m., then can’t fall back to sleep...sometimes for hours!”
-”I take sleeping pills and they work fine at first, but after a couple of weeks, I’m back to where I started.”
-”I only have to wake up at 7 a.m., yet I wake up at 5 a.m. every morning and just lie there!”
If yes to any of the above, you may be struggling with Insomnia.
What is Insomnia?
Simply stated, Insomnia is a fear of not being able to sleep. This fear can cause problems with falling asleep, staying asleep, or a person’s sleep schedule. Because of the importance of sleep to overall health, worrying about a lack of it is not completely irrational. This fear, however, can cause people to become trapped in a cycle of worry that is problematic because it often becomes self-perpetuating.
What are the Symptoms of Insomnia?
It is believed that 5% to 15% of adults meet criteria for Insomnia Disorder, while 33% to 50% of adults report dissatisfaction with sleep. Even if a person doesn’t meet the criteria for Insomnia Disorder any symptom of insomnia can cause significant problems and can treated with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia.
Insomnia symptoms may include:
- Difficulty falling asleep at night
- Waking up during the night
- Waking up too early
- Not feeling well-rested after a night's sleep
- Daytime tiredness or sleepiness
- Irritability, depression or anxiety
- Difficulty paying attention, focusing on tasks or remembering
- Increased errors or accidents
- Ongoing worries about sleep
- Thinking impairment
- Reduction in performance
Why am I Struggling with Insomnia?
There is likely a number of reasons why you may be struggling with the symptoms of Insomnia:
- Having or anticipating a stressful day
- Overstimulation by a good day
- Foods or beverages that you consume during the day
- Schedule disruption (due to work, travel, unexpected events, or poor planning)
- Daytime napping
- Irregular sleep schedule
- Lack of scheduling time to wind down prior to bedtime
- Laptops, phones, screens in your bedroom or sleep space
- Depression, anxiety, and other mental health diagnoses
- Health-related issues like pain, tension, or other discomforts
What Treatments Work for Insomnia?
Present research indicates that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is more effective than sleep medications for the treatment of insomnia. Unlike many mental health disorders, CBT-I can actually “cure” insomnia for many people. 100% of insomnia patients who complete a CBT-I program report improved sleep and 75% become normal sleepers. 91% of CBT-I patients reduce the use of sleeping pills and 40% discontinue sleeping medications entirely.
A course of CBT-I typically includes the following components:
1. Psychoeducation: Patients are taught about the components of good sleep (e.g. stages of sleep, circadian rhythms, effects of diet, exercise, body temperature, sunlight, aging, food and medications).
2. Sleep Hygiene: Sleep patterns and environment are analyzed and patients are instructed how to adjust these variables to result in improved sleep. The focus is on activities that enhance and/or harm sleep in the hours before bedtime.
3. Cognitive Components: Patients learn to identify their “automatic negative sleep thoughts” and to replace them with “positive, accurate and helpful sleep thoughts”. We dispel common sleep misperceptions and maladaptive assumptions.
4. Behavioral Modification: Through sleep restriction, which is designed to retrain the brain to desire sleep, patients learn to focus on their sleep efficiency (ratio of amount of time asleep to amount of time in bed) rather than absolute amount of time sleeping. Sleep efficiency has been shown to be the best predictor of the quality of sleep.