An Emerging Therapy Can Help You Sleep Better

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I woke up last night when the summer rains started. Initially, the sound of the drops on the window was relaxing, but it soon turned into a nightmare. Now awake, my mind began racing with thoughts of a crammed to-do list for the upcoming day, questions about some billing issues, and an impending deadline.

I tossed and turned in bed so much that even the dog moved away. Finally, hours later, I fell back asleep, but by then, it was nearly time to get up and go to work. I feel like I'm slogging through mud, and my mood is edged with irritation and anxiety.

Mood Buster

When anxiety creeps in and keeps us awake at night, one of the first things to go is our mood. More than a third of Americans report getting less than the seven to eight recommended hours of sleep, and 30 percent have symptoms of insomnia. Of those, with 10 percent say their fatigue impacts their daily activities, according to a white paper from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Studies show that people who are sleep-deprived experience more anger, frustration, irritability, and other negative feelings.

Hit the Reset

Sleep is the way we relax and reset our brains. It is time for us to embed our learning and categorize our experiences, and some research indicates it may also release toxins from the brain. It isn’t hard to recognize the benefits of a good night’s sleep after you’ve had one, but with the noise and stress of the modern world, even the best sleep hygiene practices, like turning off your phone an hour before bed, don’t always help us rest easier, but it's a place to start.

Create a Better Sleep Environment

Here are some other things that can help:

1. Create a routine that you stick to every night. This signals to your brain and body that it’s time to calm down so you go to bed more relaxed.
2. Become mindful. Focus your thoughts on your breath and how your body feels in the present moment. Breathe deeply from your diaphragm, and as thoughts come in, picture yourself blowing them away.
3. Get comfortable. Keep the temperature cool; sleep experts recommend between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep lights off, make the room as dark as possible, and ensure your mattress, pillow, and bedding are comfortable.

Give CBT-I a Try

If changing habits and sleep strategies alone aren’t helping you get more rest, an emerging form of cognitive behavioral therapy used specifically to address insomnia, often called CBT-I, can help.

Some indications are that the approach may even be more effective in treating insomnia than medication. CBT-I doesn’t just induce sleep. It works by helping you identify and change or eliminate the beliefs, ideas, and negative thoughts that keep you from sleeping. The method also helps you recognize and adapt behaviors that might be getting in the way of good sleep.

To get started, talk to your doctor about your insomnia or difficulty sleeping to rule out any underlying medical causes, then seek a CBT-I provider, someone with specific training and experience in using this treatment for insomnia. Smartphone apps may also be useful delivery methods, according to research that indicates self-directed efforts can help. I can’t attest to the effectiveness of these apps, but research indicates that self-guided programs like these may help.

And I like knowing that by working with my brain and beliefs I won’t need to rely on a drug to fall asleep.