If you’ve been looking for ways to get the sleep you need, it’s crucial to get a proper treatment for your insomnia. It’s always best to find safe and effective insomnia treatments, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia, which we will discuss in this article.

Insomnia is one of the most common sleep disorders which causes an inability to fall and stay asleep. One of the most effective and non-drug treatments for this sleep disorder is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, also known as CBT-I. This structured program is usually recommended as the first line of treatment. CBT-I will help you identify and replace thoughts and behaviors which trigger or make the sleep disorder worse. It will help you overcome all the underlying causes of your sleep issues.

How Does CBT-I Work?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy has a cognitive part which will teach you to recognize and change the beliefs which trigger your sleep disorder. Moreover, it will help you overcome all negative thoughts and worries which might keep you awake.

The behavioral part of CBT-I will aid in developing good sleeping habits and eliminate all behaviors which prevent your sleeping process.

There are several CBT-I techniques which your sleep therapist might recommend, including:

• Stimulus control therapy, a method which will help you eliminate all factors which make your mind avoid sleep. This method might include using the bedroom only for sleeping and avoiding naps.
• Sleep restriction which means that you will stay in bed only for sleeping and not lying. It restricts the time you spend in bed which is known to cause sleep deprivation.
• Sleep hygiene is a method which encourages you to change some basic lifestyle habits, such as smoking, drinking alcohol and coffee.
• Sleep environment improvement means that you have to create a comfortable sleeping environment, such as sleeping in a quiet and dark room and getting rid of all gadgets in your bedroom.
• Relaxation training, a method which will aid in calming your body with the help of meditation and muscle relaxation.
• Remaining passively awake means that the method will teach you to relax and let go of the worry that you can’t fall asleep.
• Biofeedback, a method which monitors your biological signs such as heart rate and muscle tension and shows you how to adjust them. The most effective treatment approach may combine several of these methods.

Who Can Benefit from CBT-I?

Everyone with sleep disorders, such as insomnia, can benefit from this therapy. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can also help people with mental health disorders, chronic pain, anxiety and depression. In fact, this therapy doesn’t seem to come with any negative side effects.

Sleep medications are not the best long-term insomnia treatment like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as it addresses the underlying causes of insomnia.

Treatment for Insomnia at VitruOx

Hence, if you are diagnosed with insomnia, it’s best to undergo 6 weeks of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. VirtuOx has developed a revolutionary online CBT-I program that is available at no charge. This is, in fact, a short course of therapy which aims to prepare both your mind and body for better sleep. The Clinical Guidelines of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the Center for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health all prefer CBT-I as an insomnia treatment.

This therapy will help you learn techniques which will help you break the cycle of thoughts, feelings and behaviors that interfere with restful sleep. Thanks to these powerful tools and knowledge you will have an improved sleep. You can get your free access to our CBT-I Program here.