Fighting Insomnia with Therapy

Most of us have dealt with insomnia at one point or another. When sleepless strikes, we’re left fatigued and without energy the following day. This impacts everything we try to get done, even the simple things. But while the occasional bout of sleeping problems can be annoying but mostly forgettable, chronic sleeplessness can create serious health issues for those suffering from it.

The most common causes for persistent insomnia are stress and anxiety, followed by physical reasons such as sleep apnea. Some less common, but equally serious, mental conditions can play a role as well. And while drugs to induce drowsiness might offer temporary relief, that help will not last. Eventually your body will develop a tolerance to the dosage, and the pills that have been knocking you out for the night will no longer do the trick.

For these reasons, doctors specializing in sleep disorders are turning to cognitive behavioral therapy in the search for long term treatment of insomnia. CBT is a treatment option psychologists can provide. The psychologist works with the patient to train them how to achieve sleep without letting the various issues, such as stress, they might be facing prevent them from getting rest. It can be as simple as setting good sleep routines, and as complicated as addressing the root causes for their mental distractions.

Key Points:

  • 1Stressful circumstances can trigger insomnia; such as a school test, loss of a job, or a fight in a significant relationship.
  • 2Chronic insomnia is defined as difficulty falling asleep or difficulty getting back to sleep after awakening.
  • 3There are relaxation techniques that can be used to disengage thoughts while sleeping at night.


The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that more than a third of American adults aren’t getting enough sleep.


Share

HealthStatus has been operating since 1998 providing the best interactive health tools on the Internet, millions of visitors have used our health risk assessment, body fat and calories burned calculators. The HealthStatus editorial team has continued that commitment to excellence by providing our visitors with easy to understand high quality health content for many years.

User Reviews

Reply

Your email address will not be published

twelve + 11 =

Written by HealthStatus
Medical Writer & Editor

HealthStatus has been operating since 1998 providing the best interactive health tools on the Internet, millions of visitors have used our health risk assessment, body fat and calories burned calculators. The HealthStatus editorial team has continued that commitment to excellence by providing our visitors with easy to understand high quality health content for many years.

View all post by HealthStatus