CBT for Insomnia: Sleep Problems
Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that often coexists with, or is a symptom of, other mental health disorders. Mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression often involve insomnia. There are different types of insomnia, including difficulty falling asleep, nocturnal wakefulness and early rising. A person may experience one type of insomnia or all of the above. Regardless of the type, it can be quite frustrating and even debilitating.
Cognitive Behavior Therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapists are often faced with the challenge of helping a client overcome insomnia. While there are various psychotropic medications that may help ameliorate symptoms, cognitive behavioral therapists apply other techniques. First, the therapist wants to identify the stimulus behind the insomnia, racing thoughts, worry, etc. If someone is a worrier, the therapist may teach the client to keep a worry list on the side of his bed to jot down worries and commit not to think about them until morning. A therapist may also teach deep breathing techniques or progressive muscle relaxation to help calm down before bedtime. However, a stimulus to insomnia may also be biological, in which case other techniques such as relaxation techniques may be helpful.
Therapists offer Behavioral Treatments
Cognitive behavioral therapists often use sleep hygiene to help clients who suffer from insomnia: developing a regular sleep schedule (going to bed and waking up at the same time each day); reserving the bed only for sleeping and sexual activities (not reading or using a laptop in bed, which creates an unhelpful association); avoiding electronic screens within two hours of bedtime (they stimulate brain cells/neurons); avoiding eating or drinking two hours before bedtime; not lying in bed awake for more than 20 minutes (get up and do something else, like reading, for 20 minutes before trying again, paradoxically, trying hard to fall asleep only prolongs insomnia).
Additional tips: avoid electronic items like televisions in the bedroom; keep the bedroom a place of calmness (relaxing music or a noise machine may help); adjust room temperature (turn on an air conditioner or fan if too hot to sleep). Compliance with a therapist's suggestions may decrease insomnia and thereby also improve anxiety and depressive symptoms, but any changes should be made with the help of a licensed professional.
For an updated, more in-depth look at this topic, see Everything You Need to Know About Insomnia & Sleep Disorders.