Do you find yourself lying in bed awake for extended periods of time at night, then in turn feeling tired all the time? If so, you may be suffering from insomnia.
If you struggle with insomnia, you are not alone. In fact, ⅓ of the population experiences persistent difficulty sleeping.
Symptoms of Insomnia
● Difficulty falling asleep
● Waking up often or too early
● Difficulty concentrating or functioning
● Feeling fatigued or exhausted
● Worrying about sleep
● Low, anxious, or irritable mood
● Headaches
Consequences of Insomnia
● Depression
● Impaired work performance
● Motor vehicle accidents
● Decreased quality of life
An effective approach to treating insomnia and mitigating these serious potential consequences is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-i).
How CBT-I works:
Cognitive therapy helps you change thoughts that are impacting your sleep
● Creating realistic expectations
● Examining thoughts for accuracy
● Modifying inaccurate/unrealistic thoughts
Behavioural therapy helps you change habits to promote sleep
● Sleep restriction: decreasing the time spent in bed to increase efficiency
● Stimulus control: going to bed when already sleepy, using the bed only for sleep or sex, getting up when unable to sleep, and avoiding daytime naps
● Sleep hygiene: limiting caffeine and alcohol intake, ensuring the sleep environment promotes sleep, decreasing screen time before bed, and getting regular exercise
Relaxation techniques help you unwind and get ready for sleep
● Progressive muscle relaxation: gradually tensing and relaxing certain muscle groups in a specific order (head-to-toe)
● Mindfulness exercises: being present in the moment, slowing down the thoughts by observing them as opposed to engaging with them
● Breathing techniques
Sleep diaries help track patterns to better understand and improve
your sleep
If you want support to overcome insomnia, reach out to Roots in
Wellness to book an appointment.
Intern Therapist
RP (Qualifying)
References:
Bhaskar, S., Hemavathy, D., & Prasad, S. (2016). Prevalence of chronic insomnia in adult patients and its correlation with medical comorbidities. Journal of family medicine and primary care, 5(4), 780–784. https://doi.org/10.4103/2249-4863.201153
Walker, J., Muench, A., Perlis, M. L., & Vargas, I. (2022). Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I): A Primer. Clinical psychology and special education, 11(2), 123–137. https://doi.org/10.17759/cpse.2022110208
