Do you have a lot of trouble getting proper sleep? Well, here is what you need to know about your sleep troubles and how to resolve them.
Get Treatment
Have you tried changing your sleeping habits? Have you considered a new mattress, read this guide online. Have you tried addressing any issues resulting in insomnia? Are you stressed? Do you have underlying medical conditions or medications that might be affecting your sleep? If you check these issues, you are likely going to start sleeping better. However, if they don’t work, cognitive behavioral therapy is a good idea. You can do this together with medications to improve your sleep.
What You Need To Know About Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Insomnia
CBT for insomnia should help you remove or control negative actions or thoughts that might keep you awake at night. It’s a recommended treatment for people suffering from insomnia. CBT is effective than most sleep medications available on the market. It teaches you to recognize and change any beliefs that might be affecting your sleep. Through this therapy, you can eliminate the cycle of anxiety that keeps you awake at night.
It allows you to develop the best sleep habits and avoid behaviors that prevent proper sleep. Some of the strategies involved in this therapy include:
•Stimulus Control Therapy – It removes factors that might condition your brain to resist sleep. Here, you will be coached on setting a consistent bedtime and waking up time, avoiding naps, using the beds for sleep and sex only. Also, you will be advised to leave the bedroom if you can’t sleep within 20 minutes and only return when you are sleepy.
•Relaxation Techniques – Breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation and biofeedback usually reduce anxiety when you go to bed. You should practice these techniques to control your breathing, reduce muscle tension and regulate your heart rate and mood so you can relax when going to bed.
•Sleep Restriction – It reduces the time you spend on your bed. You should also avoid napping since it causes partial sleep deprivation making you more tired at night. Once you have improved your sleeping patterns, you will reduce the amount of time you spend in bed.
•Remaining Passively Awake – It is also referred to as paradoxical intention. It is a therapy for learned insomnia which is aimed at reducing anxiety and worry, allowing you to get to sleep when you are in bed.
•Light Therapy – If you fall asleep and wake up too early, the light will push back your internal clock. Get natural light in your room to reduce these issues.
Your doctor will recommend these strategies to improve your sleep quality effortlessly.