How CBT-I Treats Insomnia Without Medication

There you are, lying in bed wondering when you will finally fall asleep. Maybe you're stressed about not being able to sleep, maybe you're frustrated about your struggle, or perhaps you've just given up and given in to the wakefulness. You're not alone- 30 million Americans struggle with sleep and about 12% suffer from chronic insomnia. Chronic sleep problems can have a wide range of physical, mental, and emotional consequences and, because of this, people often turn to sleep medications or other substances to help them sleep. While prescription or over-the-counter sleep medications can offer help from night to night- they don't get to the actual root of the issue- they're just a band-aid. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is a non-medication treatment for insomnia that is backed by research and is

considered the gold standard treatment for insomnia by the American College of Physicians, The American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and more.

What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I)?

CBT-I is a structured and often brief form of therapy in which the client and therapist work to retrain the brain's sleep and wakefulness systems, enhance the client's ability to relax the mind and body, and identify and shift the sleep limiting thoughts that make sleep more difficult.

We know that sleep problems and insomnia can often be precipitated by factors like stress or health problems but that chronic insomnia is perpetuated by habits, behaviors, thoughts, and emotions. CBT-I works by changing those habits, behaviors, thoughts, and emotions in a way that resets your sleep systems and promotes better sleep. CBT-I is an evidenced based approach and is considered the gold standard, first line treatment for insomnia- even more so than medications.

How does CBT-I Treat Insomnia Without Medication: Step-by-Step Approach

If you are only looking to address your insomnia, then treatment often takes just 6-8 sessions. Unlike some other forms of therapy, CBT-I is focused and structured with specific goals and topics for each session. You can expect homework from week to week- the success of CBT-I is dependent on the client doing the work between sessions.

CBT-I treats insomnia in a few ways:

• "Resetting" your body's sleep and wakefulness systems: Our body has a process for when to tell us to be alert and awake and when to tell us to be sleepy. Insomnia and lying in bed awake can interfere with this process. In CBT-I we use sleep scheduling and restriction techniques as well stimulus control to get this process back on track.

• Somatic, Relaxation & Mindfulness Technique: Stress, a

  anxiety, or busyness can make it difficult for your body to relax. CBT-I teaches somatic and mindfulness strategies to improve your body and mind's ability to relax into sleep.

• Sleep Disrupting Thoughts: "If I don't fall asleep now I'm going to feel miserable tomorrow", "I haven't been able to sleep all week and I just know I won't be able to tonight either"- do these sound familiar? Many people with insomnia end up having a lot of stressful thoughts about sleep (or the lack thereof) and these thoughts make the insomnia worse. CBT-I helps clients identify and shift their sleep disrupting thoughts.

• Good Sleep Habits: CBT-I is not sleep hygiene, but we know that there are things that support good sleep and things that worsen it. A CBT-I therapist will help you figure out the best way for you to set yourself up for sleep success.

Who Can Benefit from CBT-I?

CBT-I can support a variety of different sleep struggles including:

• Trouble falling asleep

• Waking up frequently

• Waking up too early

• Having racing thoughts while trying to sleep

• Feeling stressed about sleep

• Nightmares

If your sleep problems are due to sleep apnea, RLS, narcolepsy, or other medical problems then CBT-I may still be able to help but should be in conjunction with medical care. If you have significant mental or emotional health struggles or heavy substance use, then speak with your therapist about how to address the issues concurrently.

Getting Started with CBT-I

If you're ready to try something new to get relief from your insomnia, you're not alone. CBT-I can treat insomnia without medications and it may be the help you're looking for. CBT-I is a specialty field of therapy and you can find certified practitioners here. Katie Bernard, LCSW offers virtual CBT-I to adults residing in Florida, making it easy to start your journey from the comfort of home. CBT-I is offered as a standalone treatment or as part of broader therapy for anxiety.

Call today to learn more 941-216-5464