TREATMENT FOR INSOMNIA

Insomnia is a condition that afflicts millions of people.  Signs of insomnia include, but are not limited to:

 

• difficulty falling or staying  asleep

• waking before you intended

• daytime sleepiness which effects work performance and social life

 

According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, about 30 percent of adults in the United States have symptoms of insomnia about, 10 percent of adults have insomnia that is severe enough to cause daytime consequences and less than 10 percent of adults are likely to have chronic insomnia.

 

Insomnia is typically treated with prescription or over-the counter sleep aids; however, they are not always effective and they can have side-effects.  As a result, The American College of Physicians recommended a specific protocol, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - Insomnia (CBT-I ) as the front-line treatment for insomnia. 

 

CBT-I is a short-term psychotherapeutic treatment which does not involve medication, and has been demonstrated in numerous research studies to have short and long term success.  The treatment involves:

 

• assessment of your current sleep problems

• keeping track of your sleep quality throughout treatment

• correcting habits which negatively effect your sleep

• developing healthy sleep habits

• addressing worrisome thoughts and beliefs about sleep

• relaxation training

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CBT-I may be used on its own or in conjunction with other psychotherapies.  Often when insomnia is present with other symptoms such as depression or anxiety, improving sleep may go a long way to alleviating other distressing psychological symptoms.