Lesson 4B: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia

Click title to see more…

Recommended: Go To: Lesson 4 Website for the Complete and Free “Cure Your Insomnia” course and a better web experience.  Contact Dennis: Voice message or text: 408-990-3882 or dennis@sleeptohealthy.com  

Lesson Summary:

• CBTi or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia can seem strange because its methods are sometimes counter-intuitive.
• We use terms that are easier to understand than the CBTi technical terms in this course. You will learn how to cure insomnia.
• CBTi or CBT for Insomnia is highly respected and most recommended by sleep specialists.
• Make sure you have any insomnia causing issues dealt with 1st and consult your health professional before trying CBTi.
• The basis for CBTi: Incorrect thoughts and beliefs lead to unhelpful behaviors lead to undesired outcomes.
• There are 5 elements of CBTi.
• #1: Compact sleep – Spend your time in bed sleeping, not being awake.  Also called Sleep Restriction Therapy for Insomnia
• #2: Sleep Buddy – Creating a strong association between your bed and sleep. Also called Stimulus Control Therapy for Insomnia.
• #3: Sleep Myths – Corrects the detrimental thoughts and beliefs you have about sleep.  Also called Cognitive Destortions for Insomnia
• #4: De-stressing – Learn how to destress to let sleep come easily.  Also called Stress Reduction.
• #5: Sleep Tips – Helpful advice to avoid sabatoging your CBTi skills.  Also called Sleep Hygiene.
• An Infographic showing how all 5 CBTi elements work together is available by subscribing to free extra  course material.

Assignment:

• Go through the 5 CBTi elements and decide which one you think you should tackle first.
• Review your sleep journal(s) and see what insights or trends you notice. Keep in mind what you learned this lesson.
• Send me a message: Text or voice mail at 408-990-3882 or email me at dennis@sleeptohealthy.com to let me know what you are learning that is most helpful so far.

Links mentioned in the show:

Unhelpful Cycle of Insomnia (pdf)
Helpful CBTi Cycle to Break Insomnia (pdf)

Other Thoughts:

The wonderful thing about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia is that it covers all the aspects of sleep that you need to cure your insomnia.  It is not a partial cure, but covers every important aspect of sleep.