As individuals seek new ways to address their health-related concerns, CBT-I or Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Insomnia has been recommended by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine as an effective alternative to traditional medicine. By getting a good night’s sleep, individuals are better prepared to tackle the day and tend to feel more optimistic, energized, and refreshed. Defined as ‘sleep hygiene’, this concept includes both behavioral and environmental changes, leading to more effective rest, overall.
Unfortunately, getting an adequate amount of good-quality sleep is harder for some. Especially for individuals with disorders like insomnia, sleep hygiene alone, may not be enough to relieve this life-altering, often all-consuming problem. Insomniacs typically require additional support to transform their sleeping habits, turning to traditional medicine as a result. Although modern medicine can help sufferers experience fast-acting relief, it does not directly address the root causes of this debilitating condition.
Specialist in longevity medicine, Dr. Olivia Beresford explains the transformational potential of Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Insomnia. Commonly referred to as CBT-I, this method seeks to offer a long-lasting solution where medication often falls short.
She comments: “While personally struggling with insomnia, I was taking several different medications, most of which weren’t designed to treat insomnia, and I was searching for a longer-lasting solution that didn’t affect my body so negatively. I stumbled across a Harvard training program on CBT-I that led me to develop a practice that now serves hundreds of patients.”
Insomnia is influenced by many factors and can be exacerbated by anxiety, overwhelming thoughts, and behaviors. Such behaviors include alcohol consumption in the hours leading up to bedtime, the use of nicotine, and blue-light exposure. These, as well as other equally counterintuitive actions, can delay the body’s natural ability to rest and reduce the overall quality of sleep. Despite this, more hygienic practices like creating a well-suited environment for a night of high-quality sleep, could be a great place to start. So the body can synchronize circadian rhythms, a regular nightly routine is also crucial to cultivate.
Having experienced insomnia herself, Dr. Olivia Beresford participated in extensive research on CBT-I and now shares her findings with her clients, helping them to achieve better rest, optimize their sleep, and promote their overall well-being. Like Dr. Olivia Beresford, practitioners of CBT-I empower individuals to confront their insomnia-inducing patterns of thought and identify proactive solutions. A therapeutic method utilized for over five decades, CBT-I was developed using a range of techniques, including a major contribution introduced by psychologist Richard Bootzin. He brought stimulus control therapy to the forefront of this approach, which has become a foundational element of CBT-I, today.
Insomniacs who have undergone CBT-I therapies report to have dealt with fewer negative side effects overall, and a greater amount of sleep, per hour. CBT-I has shown promising results in addressing the root causes behind their long-standing sleep-related disorders.
Dr. Beresford continues: “Through Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Insomnia, clients experience better rest and a night of deeper sleep. Many feel chronic anxiety about not being able to sleep in the first place, leading to problematic behaviors that inhibit them from effectively doing so. In confronting these problems, CTB-I has shown promising results, revealing itself as a promising method to cultivate a more conducive, healthier perspective on sleep.”
The negative repercussions of sleep deprivation and insomnia – especially for extended periods of time – can be incredibly distressing. In some cases, they can lead to higher risks of developing chronic conditions that pose additional risks – making positive sleep hygiene increasingly vital. As suggested by leading practitioners like Dr. Olivia Beresford, CBT-I can be transformative when sleep hygiene methods, alone, fail to provide long-term results.
