What is insomnia?
Insomnia is a sleep disorder in which you have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or both. Around 30-35% of Americans have an occasional night of troubled sleep, but when insomnia continues, it can cause major issues for your whole life.
Whether you have short-term insomnia that persists for less than three months, or chronic insomnia disorder, which happens three or more times a week for a minimum of three months, you might need professional help to get your sleep (and your life!) back on track.
What are the symptoms of insomnia?
Insomnia deprives you of sleep, but that’s not the only problem it causes. Often, the effects linger into the daytime, too. Common effects of insomnia include:
- Daytime drowsiness
- Chronic fatigue
- Concentration problems
- Poor memory
- Grumpy or irritable mood
- Poor performance at work
If your insomnia has become a frustratingly persistent issue, it’s time to ask for help. At Dynamic Therapies, Dr. Mizrahi offers a customized cognitive behavioral approach that’s the most effective solution for sleeplessness available.
How does cognitive behavioral therapy treat insomnia?
Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia helps you in several ways. Dr. Mizrahi customizes the therapy for you, with common aspects of treatment including:
- Creating a new sleep schedule, with consistent sleep and wake-up times
- Improving your sleep environment
- Learning health-promoting behaviors and discontinuing bad habits, like smoking
- Addressing unhealthy thinking patterns about sleep
- Relaxation training to calm your mind and body before sleep
Cognitive behavioral therapy helps you take control of your sleep. It’s even helpful in enhancing whole-body health and wellness for many insomnia sufferers.
How does cognitive behavioral therapy compare to medication?
Cognitive behavioral therapy is recommended by experts as the best first-line treatment for insomnia. It’s better than medication for insomnia for a couple of reasons.
Sleep medication is habit-forming, and it often loses effectiveness over time. Sometimes, insomnia sufferers who take medication have to continually raise their dosage to get the same effect.
Sleep medication is also a short-term fix instead of a true solution. Pills only work for hours, but the new habits you learn through cognitive behavioral therapy stay with you for the long term.
Ready to start sleeping at night instead of tossing and turning? Use online scheduling or call Dynamic Therapies for your appointment with Dr. Mizrahi now.
