About 1
in 4 adults in the United States develops symptoms of insomnia each year. In
most cases, these are short-lived, caused by things such as stress or illness.
But 1 in 10 adults are estimated to have chronic insomnia, which means
difficulty falling or staying asleep at least three times a week for three
months or longer.
اضافة اعلان
Sleep
deprivation doesn’t just create physical health problems, it can also harm our
minds. A recent poll from the National Sleep Foundation, for example, found a
link between poor sleep health and depressive symptoms. In addition, studies
have shown that a lack of sleep can lead otherwise healthy people to experience
anxiety and distress. Fortunately, there is a well-studied and proven treatment
for insomnia that generally works in eight sessions or less: cognitive
behavioral therapy for insomnia, or CBT-I.
If you
cannot find a provider, CBT-I instruction is easy to access online. Yet it is
rarely the first thing people try, said Aric Prather, a sleep researcher at the
University of California, San Francisco, who treats patients with insomnia.
Instead,
they often turn to medication. According to a 2020 survey from the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, more than 8 percent of adults reported taking
sleep medication every day or most days to help them fall or stay asleep.
Studies
have found that CBT-I is as effective as using sleep medications in the short
term and more effective in the long term. Clinical trial data suggests that as
many as 80 percent of the people who try CBT-I see improvements in their sleep
and most patients find relief in four to eight sessions, even if they have had
insomnia for decades, said Philip Gehrman, the director of the Sleep,
Neurobiology, and Psychopathology lab at the University of Pennsylvania.
Sleep
aids can carry risks, especially for older people, who may experience problems
such as falls, memory issues or confusion as a result of using the medication.
CBT-I, on the other hand, is considered safe for adults of any age. It can even
be adapted for use in children.
What is CBT-I?Many
people mistakenly assume that CBT-I is entirely focused on sleep hygiene — the
routines and environment that are conducive to good sleep, said Shelby Harris,
a psychologist with a private practice in the New York City area who
specializes in CBT-I.
CBT-I
does use a series of treatments to target behaviors that are inhibiting sleep,
such as daytime naps or using digital devices before bed, and replaces them
with more effective ones, like sticking to a consistent wake time. But it also
aims to address anxieties and negative beliefs about sleep.
Much of
the time, insomnia can lead to the feeling that sleep has become “unpredictable
and broken,” Prather said. “Every day people with chronic insomnia are thinking
about ‘How am I going to sleep tonight?’”
CBT-I
teaches people different ways to relax, such as deep breathing and mindfulness
meditation, and helps patients develop realistic expectations about their sleep
habits.
It is
especially important that people with insomnia learn to view their bed as a
place for restful sleep rather than associating it with tossing and turning.
Patients undergoing CBT-I are asked to get out of bed if they are not asleep
after around 20 or 30 minutes and do a quiet activity in dim lighting that
doesn’t involve electronics. In addition, they are told to stay in bed only
while drowsy or sleeping.
“CBT-I
leads to more consolidated sleep and shorter time to fall asleep, which is a
major gain for many,” Harris said.
Can you try CBT-I without
a provider?A review
of clinical trials found that self-directed online CBT-I programs were just as effective
as face-to-face CBT-I counseling. If you are self-motivated, there are several
low-cost or free resources that can teach you the main principles.
One
option is the five-week program Conquering Insomnia, which ranges in price from
about $50 for a PDF guide to $70 for a version that includes audio relaxation
techniques and feedback about your sleep diary from Dr. Gregg D. Jacobs, the
sleep and insomnia expert who developed the program.
You can
also check out Insomnia Coach, a free app created by the U.S. Department of
Veterans Affairs that can be used by anyone. It offers a guided, weekly
training plan to help you track and improve sleep; tips for sleeping; an
interactive sleep diary; and personal feedback.
Sleepio
is another reputable app, Harris said. There are also free online resources
from the AASM and educational handouts from the National Institutes of Health,
which include a sample sleep diary and a guide to healthy sleep.
And for those who prefer to avoid technology entirely, more than one expert
recommended the workbook “Quiet Your Mind and Get to Sleep” by Colleen E.
Carney and Rachel Manber.
Read more Health
Jordan News
.jpg)
.jpg)
