Defined by Psychology Today, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy that treats problems and boosts happiness by modifying dysfunctional emotions, behaviors, and thoughts resting on the idea that thoughts and perceptions influence behavior.
When lying awake at night, a lot of thoughts rush through the mind and can disrupt your chance to sleep. And when piling up night after night, insomnia sets in quickly. CBT can help control or eliminate these negative thoughts or worries. With the practice of good sleep habits and avoiding patterned behaviors, certain techniques can be valuable in treating insomnia. A lot of individuals want quick fixes or something that can be easily tracked. Sleepio is one of the newest tools that corporations are offering employees as part of a perk in health benefits.
Sleepio: Digital Sleep Aid
“Sleepio is a digital therapeutic intended for the improvement of poor sleep and the management of Insomnia Disorder in adults aged 18 years and older, as an adjunct to their usual medical care.”
Through Sleepio, “The Prof” leads users through six virtual sessions supported by evidence-based cognitive and behavioral skills. As you onboard with “The Prof” via Sleepio, the content is tailored to your answers and adapts week-to-week. An important part of Sleepio to understand is that the techniques are best adapted after consulting a doctor. However, the mission behind the Sleepio app is to help you learn your own sleep habits to make better choices.
In addition to “The Prof” at Sleepio, there is a library with more than 100 articles including the science behind sleep and how to put healthy sleep into practice. As a reminder, Sleepio is not a substitute for other medical or mental health treatments.
You can access Sleepio through your web browser and on iOS or Android devices. Supported web browsers include Chrome, Safari, and MS Edge. Sleepio supports the import of sleep data through FitBit devices.
CBT Treatment
According to the American Psychological Association, CBT treatment involves efforts to change thinking patterns with strategies that can include:
- “Learning to recognize one’s distortions in thinking that are creating problems, and then to reevaluate them in light of reality.
- Gaining a better understanding of the behavior and motivation of others.
- Using problem-solving skills to cope with difficult situations.
- Learning to develop a greater sense of confidence is one’s own abilities.”
Recommendations stemming from cognitive behavior therapy include:
- Changing up your sleep environment with fresh bedding, painting the walls, and adding a sound machine or essential oil diffuser.
- Buying a new mattress has created a possible strain on your body.
- Eliminating blue light in the bedroom by moving the cell phone away from the nightstand.
- Meditation or relaxation training such as yoga or stretching before bedtime.
- Journaling at bedtime to write down any worries or to-do lists keeping you from a restful night’s sleep.
Practices most common with CBT are with the following methods:
- Cognitive reframing (used at night): restating irrational or threatening thoughts in rational terms to diffuse fear or worry.
- Thought stopping (used during the daytime): learning to replace negative thoughts about sleep with positive or productive thoughts.
- Process time (used in the evening): journaling thoughts/feelings and coming to a proactive step to take the next day. The following day the practice entails letting go of what was written..
- Addressing worries and anxieties such as the need to constantly check the time on the clock at night.
- Other issues to address will arise during the process of implementing other techniques.
Impaired sleep can seriously affect your quality of life and productivity. Behavioral changes implemented under the guidance of an experienced clinician can improve sleep quality and help you feel more alert and functional on a regular basis. Sleep is a third of your life – make it count!
Alaska Sleep Clinic is the most comprehensive multisite sleep lab in Alaska with clinics in Anchorage, Wasilla, Fairbanks, and Soldotna and we continue to expand our services to those with sleep disorders.
