Sleep is the lifeline behind any individual’s proper and healthy existence. In fact, a good night’s sleep does wonders for body recovery and optimal nervous system function.
Due to stress, underlying medical conditions, physical inactivity, and psychological reasons – or could it just be the pace of modern everyday life – the regular sleep cycle may get disturbed and we may develop insomnia.
Read all you wanted to know about cognitive behavioral therapy, a treatment for insomnia. We will explain how it works, and why those suffering from it should opt for such a treatment before resorting to a bottle of sleeping pills.
Is Insomnia Treatable: The Findings
According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information in the USA, research has shown that insomnia prevails in around 10%-30% of the world population.
Although those who suffer from chronic insomnia might consult their doctor regarding prescription medicine, the American College of Physicians and other respectable physicians now recommend cognitive behavioral therapy as the first line of treatment. CBT has proven to have major effects on eliminating insomnia, which makes insomnia treatable!
Causes of Insomnia
First, it is necessary for the physician to determine if the patient’s sleeplessness is caused by medical or psychological factors.
The medical reasons that may induce insomnia are conditions such as snoring, sleep paralysis, restless legs, cataplexy, sleep apnea, hypnopompic or hypnagogic hallucinations, and excessive daytime sleepiness.
The medical reasons can also be excluded by conducting lab tests for iron levels in the blood, liver, and kidney pathology.
Sleep hygiene has a crucial effect on sleeping. So, your sleep area must be separate from your workspace. The human brain is habitual and it associates different spaces with different habits.
If you try to sleep in the same area where you work, your brain might have a problem differentiating what activity needs to take place.
Also, bringing electronics (smartphone or laptop) to your bed is definitely a no-no.
The hormone that regulates your sleep-wake cycle, melatonin, is inhibited by the blue light generated by your mobile phone’s screen.
This makes it much more difficult to sleep and wake up the following day. To mend the issue, physicians recommend that you should not use any type of electronic device for at least one hour before going to bed.
In these modern times where artificial light dominates the scene, a great portion of users was forced to limit or eradicate their screen time hours.
Daytime is for activity, while nighttime is for sleeping – simple as that.
How Therapy for Sleep Disorder Works
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for insomnia is an effective therapy that may be initiated as basic care. Insomnia therapy can be conducted through individual or group therapy sessions, telephone or web-based modules, or self-help books.
Treatment for insomnia includes three key phases:
- A certified healthcare professional will conduct medical screening and evaluate sleep quality.
- Identifying and addressing the causes and procedures that are unique to your situation in order to alleviate your sleeplessness.
- Gradually using methods to alleviate insomnia.
The first session would entail some kind of sleep restriction and can make patients even more tired than they are. A health-care professional will make his insomniac patient for a benevolent reason – to get them to reorganize their sleep area and cycle.
Professionals typically adjust patients’ sleeping schedules by making them wake up early since they might tend to go to sleep later than recommended.
Anxiety problems are often treated using a similar approach to this one. What’s more, physicians often resort to enforcing sleeplessness in order to lay the framework for a proper sleep routine.
By the following session, patients will likely feel agitated and anxious. But, that seems to be the goal of the treatment, as eventually, patients will get so tired that they will have no other option but to go to sleep.
Following this step, physicians will measure the sleep patterns in their patients and recommend a plan for the following week or so.
If cognitive behavioral therapy is unsuccessful, physicians might recommend the use of a shared decision-making approach with their patients. This should include a thorough discussion about the harms, benefits, and cost of sleep medications.
CBT for Your Ultimate Health Sleep – The Verdict
Cognitive behavioral therapy has proven to be a more than successful treatment for insomnia. Persistence and hard work are crucial factors for this line of treatment to take full effect.
The faster you acknowledge the underlying condition – the sooner you can start working out a solution that will benefit your sleep pattern. And whatever you do – never reach for a bottle of pills without a doctor’s recommendation.
Remember, there’s only so much meds can do – your treatment will only work if you do!
Currently residing in Arizona, John shares his home with two beloved pets - a very cute dog and a cat. Although they don't always see eye-to-eye, John's furry companions bring him joy and inspiration, serving as a constant reminder of the importance of cultivating meaningful relationships.
With a keen eye for detail and an unwavering commitment to quality, John is a true asset to the counselingreviews.com team. Whether he's writing about the latest research on mental health or offering practical advice for managing stress, John's expertise and insight are always in high demand.
If you're looking for well-researched and informative content that can help you improve your mental and emotional well-being, be sure to check out John's articles on counselingreviews.com. His writing is sure to provide you with the guidance and inspiration you need to overcome life's challenges and achieve your goals.
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