The American College of Physicians strongly “recommends that all adult patients receive cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) as the initial treatment for chronic insomnia disorder.” ~ American College of Physicians (2016)
Fortunately, there is an approach – backed by a significant body of research – found to be safe, effective, and long lasting. That’s why Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia – aka CBT-I (not your regular CBT btw) – is considered the “gold standard” in insomnia treatment. CBT-I is not a magic pill. (Spoiler alert: there isn’t one). Rather, it involves learning how our sleep regulation systems work, how they can become disrupted – think social jet lag, for example – and the behavioural and other strategies that can help strengthen the sleep regulation systems, such as the circadian rhythm. When it comes to sleep, knowledge really is power. And the first step in regaining some control over ability to sleep well is learning how to re-train the brain for efficient, deep, quality sleep once again. Many people even find that with better quality sleep, they need less quantity than they thought.
Yes, this is good news: you don’t need to live with chronic insomnia. There is a way out.
Daylight Savings Time? To avoid prolonging insomnia, don’t try to catch up on the lost hour of sleep. Ride it out and you’ll get your sleep and circadian rhythm back on track soon enough.
March 13, 2020 is World Sleep Day. Sounds like a great time to start regaining your quality of life by learning how to sleep well again.
