Have you experienced insomnia before? Ever wondered how to have a restful night of sleep? In this post I’m going to go over insomnia treatment to help you overcome insomnia, even if you’re not able to sleep right now.
If you are experiencing insomnia right now, scroll down towards the bottom of this post under the header “How to Stop Insomnia While it’s Happening” to jump straight to the tools you need.
Insomnia Definition
What is insomnia? More often than not, insomnia is often misunderstood as solely a symptom of anxiety, depression, or another major mood disorder. And while it is true that sleep problems can be a symptom of other mood disorders, did you know that insomnia can manifest without being diagnosed with anxiety or depression?
According to the DSM-5, insomnia must include at least 1 or more of the following symptoms:
Difficulty initiating sleep
Difficulty staying asleep: by experiencing frequent night time awakenings or problems falling back to sleep after waking up
Final early morning awakenings before your intended wake time with difficulty falling back to sleep (i.e.: Waking up well before your alarm goes off and you’re unable to fall back)
Although the occasional sleep disturbance is not considered a clinical diagnosis of insomnia in and of itself, for those who may be experiencing sleep disruption for a period of at least 3 nights per week for at least 3 months, may potentially meet criteria for insomnia.
If you’re concerned that you may be experiencing clinical insomnia or meet criteria for a diagnosis of insomnia, I encourage you to seek the help of a medical professional who can help clarify what you’re experiencing through a formal evaluation. Prior to scheduling clients, I provide a 20 minute free consultation to make sure we are the best fit.
Insomnia Treatment
Before carrying on, I need to get a key point across. If you take away just one thing from this post, let it be this: Sleep is a natural process that can be restored. Symptoms of insomnia are frustrating and it may feel like despite countless techniques attempted, there is nothing you can do to get a better night’s rest but I’m here to offer you assurance that you can gain control over your sleep patterns.
Sleep is a natural process that can be restored.
The first line of treatment I use for insomnia is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (also known as CBT-I), which centers around this motto.
With that said, CBT-I focuses on building sustaining and long-lasting skills to help your body get back on a normal schedule. In insomnia treatment, we teach you how to align your sleep cycle (also called the circadian rhythm) so that your body is sleepy at the right time, just before bedtime.
This is the underlying basis for insomnia treatment.
How To Stop Insomnia While it’s Happening
Keep these 3 tips in mind if you are working on strategies to improve your sleep quality. Even if you can work on 1 of these tips consistently, in addition to improved sleep, there can be benefits to both your physical and emotional well-being.
Set an alarm that is consistent even after a poor night of sleep: By setting a consistent wake time you are training your mind and body that even if you had a poor night’s rest, this is the time to be productive.
Be sure to get a healthy dose of physical activity in your daily routine, but not too close to bedtime. You may be a hiker, swimmer, weightlifter, or engage in some other kind of physical activity. That is great! Physical activity can restore balance to the circadian rhythm. The best time of day to exercise is either in the morning or mid-day. By capitalizing on physical activity in the morning or midday, you can improve productivity, but if you time it too close to bedtime, you may be perpetuating problems with falling or staying asleep.
If you are unable to fall asleep after what feels like 10-15 minutes, get out of bed: I can’t stress this enough. You may be thinking, “but what if I become more alert, and then I’ll have lost my chance to fall asleep?” In actuality, the exact opposite is true. By staying in bed when you find you cannot sleep, you are actually conditioning your mind and body to associate wakefulness with laying down in bed.
Insomnia may be something you are experiencing every night, but these tools may improve your sleep quality and overall daily functioning.
You may also find it helpful to go through this workbook: Quieting Your Mind
I’ve gone through this workbook together with many clients, but you may find it useful to give it a go on your own.
As always, I’d like to be clear that this blog post isn’t intended as professional counseling or clinical advice. If you’re in need of support, please consider reaching out to me or another professional for a formal evaluation.
Be well and sleep well,
Greg Roussett NP
Greg Roussett is a board certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner offering treatment for depression. He is a cognitive behavioral therapist, psychopharmacologist, and offers a combination of psychotherapy and medication management to individuals experiencing depression. His office is located in Rockridge in Oakland, CA. One of his primary specialities is working with those looking for help with depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances. Book a complimentary consultation today here.