
The long-term goal is more sleep, but the near-term path to getting there is often less – but better and uninterrupted – sleep. So, what exactly is cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia? The intervention can include several components, including breathing and visualization techniques, mindfulness, and biofeedback, but “the biggest hammer of CBT-I,” says UCSF sleep psychologist Aric Prather, PhD, “is time-in-bed restriction.” That means you don’t lie in bed waiting to fall asleep, but instead stay up until sleepiness finally has its way with you. The fact that these digital interventions work so well is important, Felder says, “because frankly there aren’t enough trained clinicians to get this effective intervention into the hands of people who need it.” This was a sleep intervention, but it suggested benefits for psychological functioning and well-being.”Īnother promising aspect of Felder’s study was its validation of using digital CBT-I apps such as Sleepio and SHUTi in place of one-on-one sessions with a therapist. This was a sleep intervention, but it suggested broader benefits for these women’s psychological functioning and well-being.” This is important because we were not targeting those symptoms. “But what was also super exciting,” she says, “is that they also had improvements in their depression and anxiety symptoms.
Insomnia treatments trial#
Nevertheless, in a randomized clinical trial of more than 200 pregnant women, Felder found that those who received CBT-I experienced significantly greater improvements in their insomnia symptoms than the other study subjects. Although CBT-I has been shown to help three-quarters of people with insomnia, there was reason to be skeptical: There are many practical reasons beyond true insomnia why pregnant women often have trouble sleeping, from physical discomfort to the frequent need to pee. She decided to evaluate whether cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) could improve her patients’ sleep. “In my work with patients and in my research, a lot of pregnant and postpartum women have told me their depression was triggered by sleep deprivation,” Felder says. That’s worrisome because insomnia goes hand in hand with anxiety and is often associated with depression.Ĭlinical psychologist Jennifer Felder, PhD, whose research has focused on new and expectant mothers, has shown promising results in addressing depression by helping patients improve their sleep. The fear, loss, isolation, and exhaustion of living through a pandemic – alongside a fire hose of economic, political, and racial traumas – have upended the peaceful slumber of millions of Americans. 20, 2016.If you’re having trouble sleeping, you’re not alone. Psychological and behavioral interventions for managing insomnia disorder: An evidence report for a clinical practice guideline by the American College of Physicians. Cognitive behavioral therapy for chronic insomnia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Management of chronic insomnia disorder in adults: A clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians.

Insomnia treatments how to#
This method allows you to observe biological signs such as heart rate and muscle tension and shows you how to adjust them. Letting go of this worry can help you relax and make it easier to fall asleep. Paradoxically, worrying that you can't sleep can actually keep you awake. Also called paradoxical intention, this involves avoiding any effort to fall asleep. Approaches include meditation, imagery, muscle relaxation and others.

This method helps you calm your mind and body.
Insomnia treatments tv#
This offers ways that you can create a comfortable sleep environment, such as keeping your bedroom quiet, dark and cool, not having a TV in the bedroom, and hiding the clock from view. It also includes tips that help you sleep better, such as ways to wind down an hour or two before bedtime. This method of therapy involves changing basic lifestyle habits that influence sleep, such as smoking or drinking too much caffeine late in the day, drinking too much alcohol, or not getting regular exercise. Once your sleep has improved, your time in bed is gradually increased. This treatment reduces the time you spend in bed, causing partial sleep deprivation, which makes you more tired the next night. Lying in bed when you're awake can become a habit that leads to poor sleep. For example, you might be coached to set a consistent bedtime and wake time and avoid naps, use the bed only for sleep and sex, and leave the bedroom if you can't go to sleep within 20 minutes, only returning when you're sleepy.

This method helps remove factors that condition your mind to resist sleep.

Depending on your needs, your sleep therapist may recommend some of these CBT-I techniques:
