How it works
A typical CBT program for insomnia will first analyze a patient's own insomnia. Then it might incorporate some sleep hygiene habits (don't read in bed, make sure your room is dark and cool) and help patients set a sleep schedule. A program will also educate an insomniac on relaxation techniques and help people learn new attitudes towards bedtime, to eliminate insomnia-causing anxiety — changing those negative thoughts is key.
In a post on the New York Times's Upshot blog, Austin Frakt analyzes the various studies comparing CBT to a wide variety of drugs. The vast majority of medical evidence says that for most people, CBT works better and is preferable to drugs. Plus, it doesn't come with dangerous side effects, including the risk of overdose and death.
Therapy doesn't necessarily entail expensive doctor's visits, either. Frakt's doctor pointed him to an online CBT treatment program for insomnia. Online programs that change thought patterns and behaviors can work for insomnia, just as they can for depression and anxiety.
Many of the strategies employed in CBT for insomnia are a part of other techniques for falling asleep faster, like learning to comfortably relax in bed without trying to fall asleep, eliminating the anxiety that causes insomnia.
"Like a patch on faulty software, C.B.T. reorients one's thinking and behavior so that sleep is first thought to be, and then soon after actually is, a more positive experience," writes Frakt. "Drugs, on the other hand, just treat insomniacs' symptoms without addressing the underlying cause, which is why the relief they provide may be less durable."
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