Feeling groggy, irritable, or clouded? Does the concept of a good night’s sleep seem constantly out of reach? Lack of sleep can have a serious impact on one’s health beyond just a bad mood. If you feel like you’re not getting enough sleep at night, sleep therapy could help. Designed to improve the quality of your sleep, sleep therapy — or cognitive behavior therapy for insomnia (CBTI) — helps treat disorders like insomnia and can solve issues like mental and physical health conditions.
The reasons for poor sleeping habits are varied, but so is sleep therapy — depending on the root cause, different treatment plans may be used to help you get a consistently good night’s sleep. Learn about the different types of sleep therapy and how they can positively impact your mental and physical health.
Types of sleep therapy
Stimulus control therapy — Described as a sort of training process for the mind and body, stimulus control therapy is designed to break negative habits through learned association. This includes minimizing stimulation such as TV and mobile device use, mitigating stress, using the bed for sleep only, and watching the clock.
Biofeedback — Sometimes sleep disorders can manifest themselves through muscle and brain activity. By attaching sensors to key areas of the body, sleep therapists can analyze tension and activity, then develop strategies to reduce it.
Sleep restriction — Have you ever laid awake in bed wishing you could fall asleep only to have that worry and frustration keep you awake? Sleep restriction therapy is designed to reduce the amount of time people lie awake in bed by limiting time spent in bed, thereby increasing the body’s natural drive to sleep.
Sleep hygiene — Also called “good sleep habits,” sleep hygiene refers to positive routines to improve your sleep quality. These can include going to bed at the same time every night, sleeping in a dark and relaxing environment, removing electronic devices, avoiding large meals or caffeine before bed, and exercising.
Sleep environment improvement — What’s your bedroom like when you go to bed? Creating a healthy sleep environment can greatly improve your sleep patterns. This can include sleeping in a dark and cool environment, reducing noise, and sleeping on a clean and comfortable bed.
Relaxation training — Designed to reduce physical tension, relaxation training creates a calm state of mind that allows the patient to fall asleep easier and get a more restful sleep. Relaxation training can include progressive muscle relaxation and autogenic training, or consciously relaxing various parts of the body.
Remaining passively awake — Also called “paradoxical intention,” remaining passively awake refers to the process of not making any effort to fall asleep and thereby eliminating the anxiety that comes with the inability to fall asleep.
Benefits of sleep therapy
Target problematic thoughts — Individuals struggling with sleep disorders may have anxious thoughts about not getting a good night’s sleep. These thoughts can obstruct sleep at the night, subsequently impacting mental and physical health.
Improves awareness — After finding the reason for unhealthy sleep patterns, you may begin to identify unhealthy habits and make a more conscious effort to avoid them before bedtime.
Improves sleep and mental health issues — The irregularity and lack of sleep might be solved, and good habits are created, but sleep therapy by also treat mental health issues that may be causing irregular sleeping patterns.
Reduces dependence on medication — While sleeping pills may help one get to sleep, they aren’t a permanent solution. By developing healthier habits through sleep therapy, the need to depend on medication is eliminated.
Having trouble getting a good night’s sleep? A sleep study at Warner Hospital and Health Services can help find the cause and get you on the path to more restful evenings. Learn more about sleep studies at Warner Hospital or call 217-935-9571 ext. 3222 for more information.
