![]() Avoid time in bed when you are awake, including screens (e.g. If you don’t fall asleep within 20 minutes or are awake during the night – it is important to get up and do something else (preferably an activity that takes your mind off sleep but does not overstimulate e.g. It is important to only go to sleep when you are sleepy. This helps avoid associations of wakefulness and frustration with bed. Sleep restriction techniques work to regulate the sleep-wake cycle and involve limiting time in bed to the actual time asleep. Free Apps like Smiling Mind or Utube have exercises tailored to help you fall asleep. Use mindfulness exercises to relax mind and body. Distraction like doing a puzzle, reading a book you CAN put down or magazine.ĩ. To facilitate “letting go”, keep a notebook and pen beside the bed, and if you find your mind full of worries at bedtime, write them down in your notebook – tell yourself, “there’s no need to worry about these now, I’ve noted them and can return to them tomorrow”.Ĩ. “Letting go” strategies allow you to recognize that in the present moment you have limited to nil control over events in your future or past. Acknowledging that your view of sleep impacts on the quality of it.Ħ. Accepting that sleep difficulties are a normal part of life when you are under strain.ĥ. Thought diaries to record your sleep related thoughts and challenging these.Ĥ. Keep open minded to change, rather than overgeneralizing your experience with sleep – For example, changing “I’ve tried everything and nothing works” to “I’ve tried a number of strategies and they haven’t improved my sleep yet however, I know things can improve if I’m open to change, and think more optimistically.įuther CBT treatment strategies for insomnia and sleep problems include:ģ.Stay with facts and avoid fear-driven thoughts – For example, I can function with less sleep, my body can repair and restore with any sleep I can get.Keep the balance, avoid all or nothing thinking – For example, changing thought from “I’m a terrible sleeper, I don’t sleep at all” to “I can have nights where I sleep less but others where I sleep better”.Keeping things in perspective and avoid catastrophizing – For example, tiredness at work is not going to mean you’ll lose your job!.Staying here and now and avoiding fortune telling: For example, just because you have had poor sleep the last 3 nights doesn’t ensure you’re have a poor sleep again.And so the vicious cycle continues.Īddressing this negative self-talk can help, examples are tension) that can makes it impossible to relax and sleep and confirm your negative view of sleep. Thoughts like “I will not be able to cope unless I have 8 hours sleep” are often triggered after poor sleep and in turn can lead to dread about going to sleep. ![]() Our unhelpful thoughts can lead to a ‘vicious cycle of insomnia’. Lets talk more about this.ġ – Addressing unhelpful thoughts and beliefs about sleep CBT-I consists of education, addressing unhelpful thinking and beliefs, reducing worry and tension and behavioral interventions (called sleep restriction, stimulus control) to improve sleep. These therapies are recommended to be used wherever possible and medications limited to the lowest necessary dose and shortest necessary duration. Treatment that combines the use of mindfulness-based therapy with behavioral techniques (MBT-I) also has an immerging evidence base. Habits like having an irregular sleep routine, too much coffee/tea and long day naps can maintain sleep problems over time.Ĭognitive-behaviour therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is recommended as the first line psychological treatment for insomnia by Australasian Sleep Association (ASA). Psychological treatment for insomnia and sleep problems assumes that physiological reactions, tension and worry maintain poor sleep as well as unhelpful sleep habits. Psychological Treatment for Insomnia and Sleep Problems This article outlines 12 CBT strategies to help you with your insomnia. Where the sleep problem is related to psychological factors (like worry, stress, depression) your GP will refer you to a psychologist for CBT treatment for insomnia and sleep-related problems. Discussing this with your GP is the first step to rule out any medical causes that need addressing. Getting an accurate assessment of the origin of the sleep problem is vital to ensure you get sleep back on track. For some sufferers relief isn’t in sight, and the disturbance to their sleep continues for over a month and impacts more significantly, this is known as insomnia. Do you have trouble falling or staying asleep or wake feeling like you haven’t rested at all? Chances are that you have experienced sleep problems at some stage in your life, often as a side effect of stress or other mental or physical complaints.
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