Help for Insomnia

If you suffer with insomnia, you probably think you either have to live with it or you have to load up on medication to get a good night’s sleep – and you probably aren’t too happy with either of these options! However, there is something else you can do to sleep better at night: cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia. 

What is cognitive behavioral therapy?

Cognitive behavioral therapy is a branch of psychology that focuses on how and what we think and how negative or unhelpful thoughts can influence our actions and behaviors. It is often used to treat depression and anxiety and even drug and alcohol problems. 

A trained therapist can also use cognitive behavioral therapy to help patients with insomnia. Together, the patient and the therapist examine the patient’s thoughts and feelings regarding sleep. If these are inaccurate or unhelpful, the therapist can direct the patient toward more helpful and healthy thoughts, ones to promote sleep instead of making sleep a challenge every night. 

For example, having a problem with insomnia in the past may lead to anxiety every night that you will have a problem with it again. This can lead to more insomnia, as you toss and turn, worrying what the next day will be like if you are suffering from lack of sleep. This can make you become more and more anxious as you wonder why you can’t go to sleep right away. It is an endless cycle, and one the patient may not even realize they are putting themselves through. But these thoughts can be identified, challenged, and changed with cognitive behavioral therapy. The therapist will have different techniques the patient can try to get past these thoughts so they can sleep through the night.    

There are many reasons a person might have insomnia, and there are many treatments available. If you’ve tried everything with no success, cognitive behavioral therapy might be the answer to help you get some sleep. The experts at Sleep & Neuroscience Associates in Greenwich, CT, can help determine why you aren’t sleeping and what you can do about it. Call 203-653-3519 to make an appointment today!


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