Insomnia Treatment - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a term used to describe combination therapy for insomnia. It includes a cognitive component such as relaxation therapy, and a behavioral component such as sleep hygiene education. These methods can be used to help stop bad sleep habits and start good ones. CBT strategies include sleep hygiene education, stimulus control therapy, relaxation therapy, and sleep restriction therapy. Sleep HygieneSleep hygiene includes environmental and lifestyle factors that affect sleep.

Tips for good sleep hygiene include:- Making sure your bedroom is cool, quiet, dark, and comfortable - Avoiding foods that give you indigestion - Avoiding stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine for a few hours before sleep - Avoiding alcohol close to bedtime - Exercising in the afternoon, but not too close to bedtime - Keeping a consistent bedtime and wake time - Finding and follow a relaxing nighttime routine (warm bath, cozy pajamas, soothing music)To see what habits or environmental factors might be keeping you from getting a good night's sleep, try tracking your sleep habits in a sleep diary for a few weeks.

You can assess the results yourself or use it to talk to your doctor.Stimulus Control TherapyStimulus control therapy is a way to teach yourself to associate your bed with sleep, and get onto a regular sleep-wake cycle. The rules of stimulus control therapy include:- Go to bed only when sleepy - Get out of bed if you can't sleep for 20 minutes, leave the bedroom until you are sure you can go to sleep - Don't use the bed for anything except sleep and sex (no TV, reading, eating, thinking about problems) - Get up at the same time each day, no matter how much sleep you got during the night - Avoid naps Relaxation TherapyRelaxation training is a common form of therapy that helps you to relax at bedtime and when you wake up during the night. Rather than lying awake worrying or thinking about your problems, you focus on relaxing and therefore, have less trouble falling asleep.

There are several relaxation techniques your doctor may suggest or that you can find on your own, including progressive muscle relaxation, imagery training, meditation, and thought stopping Sleep Restriction TherapySleep restriction therapy helps make sleep more efficient by restricting the amount of time you spend trying to sleep. Sleep and wake times are adjusted so that you're able to sleep better during the reduced amount of time you spend in bed. This therapy is intended to produce a more consolidated and efficient sleep by causing mild sleep deprivation, and by reducing anxiety about sleep. This technique can be considered after others have failed and it should not be used if there is a chance that an underlying medical or psychological condition is causing your insomnia. Therefore, you should only try this after consulting with a doctor.