CBT, or Cognitive Behavior Therapy, is a powerful therapeutic approach. CBT is an approach that looks at the connection between our thoughts, emotions, and actions. It helps someone analyze all three areas to help make lasting change.

It’s especially effective for treating mental health issues such as anxiety. Anxiety is one of the leading mental health concerns across the world. Unfortunately, so many people suffer from it, but it is one of the most treatable mental health issues, which is great news.

Anxiety has many challenging side effects that people will have to cope with. In addition to the intense fears and worries, insomnia is one of the most challenging symptoms of anxiety.

CBT For Insomnia

Unsurprisingly, people who suffer from insomnia will often be given a prescription to treat it. It’s a great way to provide immediate relief when someone is tired of being tired all the time!

Insomnia is when somebody has issues with staying or falling asleep. It can get so bad that it can cause a person only to be able to sleep for a few hours a night. Getting adequate restful sleep is crucial for every aspect of our lives. Without restful sleep, it can impactive cognitive functioning and reasoning.

Prescriptions for insomnia can certainly provide relief. However, that is not the only way to treat insomnia. Many natural options for insomnia treatment can provide long-term relief. This is where CBT enters the picture. CBT-I is specifically geared toward treating insomnia. Let’s dive in a little deeper.

How Does CBT-I Work?

CBT-I involves looking at how thoughts and feelings affect the ability to sleep at night. It is a reflective way of examining your thoughts and feelings about sleeping. Not only that, but it can help you prevent the negative thoughts and feelings you have because of anxiety, drastically improving your sleep ability. Working with a therapist, CBT-I helps you in a variety of ways.

1. Changing The Routine Before Bed

It will likely be recommended that you try to keep a consistent bedtime and wake time. This can help get your body into the routine of saying, “Okay, it is time to settle down, and I need to wake up every day by a certain time.” Unfortunately, that does mean sticking to a routine when you have a day off, on vacation, or on the weekends.

2. Setting A Limit On Sleep

This sounds completely counterintuitive to what you are trying to accomplish, we know! Say you set your bedtime to be at 10 pm sharp. By 10:30 pm, you are lying there staring at the ceiling still. Get out of bed, and don’t try to return to bed until you feel tired enough to sleep.

3. Laying Awake At Night? Don’t Do These Things

You’re out of bed and sitting in your living room. Tempted to binge-watch a television show or scroll through social media? You aren’t alone—it’s an easy way to pass the time! However, both of those things and other activities can prolong sleep from coming. Instead, pick up a book to read. Write in a journal about how challenging the day it was. Do what works for you, but avoid anything emitting blue light!

4. Start A Specific Bedtime Routine

If you set your bedtime to 10 pm, start getting into a specific routine one or two hours before bedtime. Whether it is getting your clothes out for work, picking up a book to read, or something else. Teaching yourself to get into a bedtime routine can really help.

If all else fails, reach out to us to learn more about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or Anxiety Therapy. Together, we can come up with a long-term plan to help combat insomnia.