Talk to Your Therapist For Better Sleep

By Annie Bernica

Tired?

Sleep disorders are increasingly prevalent, with more than 50 million Americans having chronic sleep disorders and an estimated 34% of Americans reported their sleep quality as “poor” or “only fair”. Therapists can help you with your slumber issues and give you skill-based interventions to help you from feeling so tired!

Common types of sleep problems:

  • Insomnia: Difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, and/or waking early with difficulty returning to sleep
  • Narcolepsy: trouble staying awake during the day
  • Sleep apnea or restless leg syndrome: makes it difficult to get a good night’s rest

Talk to your therapist about skills-based interventions targeting sleep!

  • Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is a research-backed therapeutic approach used to treat insomnia
  • Therapists with knowledge of sleep interventions can work with you to help regulate your sleep drive, support your body’s natural biological clock, and reduce anxiety around sleep
  • Comprehensive approach targets factors that maintain insomnia
    • Maintaining factors include extra time in bed, irregular schedule (oversleeping on weekends), and napping
  • Skills-based interventions are rooted in two well-developed treatments
    • 1) Stimulus Control
      • Helps eliminate the association between the bed or bedroom and wakefulness
    • 2) Sleep Restriction Therapy
      • Initially reducing the amount of time spent in bed allows for our sleep drive or desire to increase which leads to a reduction in the amount of unwanted wakefulness

Other online tools

  • “Insomnia Coach” App (Android or iOS)
    • Created by the Veterans Association for everyone, including Veterans and Service members, to help manage insomnia
    • The app is based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I).
    • Provides a five-week training plan structured to reset your biological clock and sleep system to make it easier to fall asleep and sleep soundly through the night. The app also teaches you about insomnia and normal sleep, developing good sleep habits, and eliminating habits that interfere with sleep.
  • “Stellar Sleep” Website and App
    • https://stellarsleep.com/
    • Take a free insomnia/sleep quiz!
    • App designed in collaboration with top sleep experts at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital (based on CBT-I: the most effective known treatment for insomnia).