Seeing a psychologist about sleep disorders In many cases, people experience insomnia because they develop a pattern of behavior that interferes with good sleep habits. Sleeping difficulties are often connected to underlying problems such as stress, depression or anxiety.
Psychophysiological insomnia usually develops out of periods of stress in which anxious thoughts keep the patient awake. After several nights, increased concern over an inability to sleep develops. Thereafter, a vicious cycle develops in which worry over the inability to sleep keeps the patient awake.
A psychologist will help you identify any underlying stressors and behaviors that may be interfering with sleep. A psychologist may ask you to keep a sleep diary with information about your routines and behaviors. This can help the psychologist identify patterns of behavior that might be interfering with sleep.
These interventions include stimulus control, sleep restriction, sleep compression, relaxation training, and cognitive therapy (summarized in Table 1).
Create a Routine
Creating a sleep routine before you go to bed can be helpful to establish good sleep habits. Do something before bed each evening that relaxes you or prepares you to fall asleep, such as meditating or journaling. Try to go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning.
Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) can help you control or eliminate negative thoughts and actions that keep you awake and is generally recommended as the first line of treatment for people with insomnia.
Sleep deprivation significantly impairs a range of cognitive and brain function, particularly episodic memory and the underlying hippocampal function. However, it remains controversial whether one or two nights of recovery sleep following sleep deprivation fully restores brain and cognitive function.
Treating insomnia typically involves sleep-inducing medication, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-i), or a combination of both of these measures. Positive lifestyle changes may alleviate symptoms for some people, as well.
Treatments. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been helpful for some with brain injury associated with insomnia. Some elements of CBT include strict sleep hygiene patterns, which means regular times of going to bed and getting up in the morning.
Instead, modern psychiatrists tend to prescribe benzodiazepines such as diazepam (Valium), alprazolam (Xanax), lorazepam (Ativan), and clonazepam (Klonopin) for insomnia, especially in patients with mood or anxiety disorders (Lader M, Addiction 2011;89(11):15351541).
Psychologists help people identify and learn to manage the factors that contribute to their sleep difficulties. Psychologists begin their work by conducting a thorough assessment. You might be asked to keep a sleep diary, which includes a record of bedtimes, wake-times, the quality of sleep, and other issues.
Can My Insomnia Be Cured? Absolutely. It may not be easy though, as curing insomnia often means improving your sleep hygiene and establishing habits that are more conducive to good sleep. And habits, especially routines you follow every day, can be tough to break.
Did you know that insomnia is more common for those who have a high IQ. Intelligent people have a harder time switching off their brain. So, maybe you are just too clever to snooze! Don't panic, high IQ or not, cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia can help you.
In a case series, Dr Cunnington and colleagues compared how much a person felt they slept, versus objective measures of sleep. They found those with insomnia slept an average of two hours more each night than they estimated.
Insomnia can make you feel like your mind is racing out of control. A revealing new study explains why your brain may be unable to put the brakes on your thoughts. It links the problem to low levels of a brain chemical. The chemical is called gamma-aminobutyric acid.
Complications of insomnia may include: Lower performance on the job or at school. Slowed reaction time while driving and a higher risk of accidents. Mental health disorders, such as depression, an anxiety disorder or substance abuse.
Several of the most popular natural sleep aids include melatonin, GABA, tryptophan, 5-HTP, CBD and THC, valerian root and lavender.
Eating a well balanced diet, getting regular exercise, staying mentally active, and keeping your blood pressure and cholesterol levels in check will improve sleep as well. You can also tackle any sleep problems by training your brain for better sleep.
MRI imaging can offer insights into insomnia brain connectivity abnormalities and how they correlate with cognitive impairments.
Zolpidem (Ambien, Ambien CR, Edluar, Intermezzo, Zolpimist)
A sedative-hypnotic of the imidazopyridine class, zolpidem has a rapid onset and short duration of action. It is a good first choice for treatment of sleep-onset insomnia and produces no significant residual sedation in the morning.
Shortened life expectancy
A more recent study looked at the effects of persistent insomnia and mortality over 38 years. The researchers found that those with persistent insomnia had a 97 percent increased risk of death.
Moderate insomnia is always associated with feelings of restlessness, irritability, anxiety, daytime fatigue, and tiredness. Severe insomnia: This term describes a nightly complaint of an insufficient amount of sleep or not feeling rested after the habitual sleep episode.