Insomnia – Behavior Treatments
Studies suggest that treatments that help you modify the behaviors and thoughts that interfere with sleep are more effective in the long run than sleep medications. Here are four common approaches:
Relaxation therapy uses methods such as progressive muscle relaxation, deep-breathing exercises, biofeedback, and meditation or another attention-focusing activity to help you relax your mind and body.
Sleep-restriction therapy involves limiting the time you spend in bed to the average number of hours you actually sleep each night over a 2-week period. That does not include the time you spend tossing and turning. If you typically get only 5 hours of good shut-eye and feel tired and out of sorts the next day, you'll begin by being in bed for only 5 hours. Eventually, as your sleep improves, you'll increase your time in bed by 30-minute increments until you're getting enough of the high quality sleep you need to feel rested.
Sleep hygiene involves practicing healthy sleep habits, including limiting bedroom activities to sleep and sex -- not working, not watching TV, not reading in bed -- to retrain yourself to associate the bed only with those two activities. For many people, reconditioning by following the principles of good sleep hygiene allows them to fall asleep more quickly.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is done with a therapist in order to help you learn to overcome the stressful attitudes or specific beliefs that undermine your efforts to get to sleep. CBT often accompanies another approach, such as sleep-restriction therapy.
Ask your healthcare provider if behavior therapies may be appropriate for you.
