"I've had intense issues with insomnia and respiratory problems for 40 years and yet, I only learned about cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) this year. Fellow insomniacs told me about it when I was reporting a story on the link I discovered between orthodontics and sleep health during my exhaustive search for sleep solutions. Two rounds of nasal surgery in the past year revolutionized my air flow but didn't improve the anxious mind that still kept me awake."
"Though CBT-I is backed by research and referred to as the gold standard for sleep disorder treatment by organizations such as the US Department of Veterans Affairs, none of the doctors I'd been begging for solutions from ever mentioned it. CBT-I has a reputation for being brutal and restrictive enforced sleep schedules, bizarre relaxation drills, the kind of thing that can make sharing a bedroom nearly impossible."
"Though virtual programs exist, I didn't want a screen-based treatment. My phone feeds my stress; it shouldn't also be my sleep coach. With the help of my therapist, I tracked down a real-life practitioner in my state: a therapist and clinical social worker named Marianne Silva at the Rowan Center for Wellness. And that's how, last April, I found myself entering this new modality for the first time an experience that turned out to be, frankly, a wild ride."
An individual endured insomnia and respiratory problems for 40 years and only learned about cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) recently. Two nasal surgeries improved airflow but did not resolve anxiety-driven sleeplessness. CBT-I is research-backed and designated the gold standard by institutions such as the US Department of Veterans Affairs, yet many clinicians did not recommend it. CBT-I involves stimulus control, sleep hygiene, sleep restriction, relaxation training, and biofeedback. Barriers include perceived harshness, enforced schedules, high costs, limited practitioner availability, emotional strain from sleep restriction, and reluctance to use screen-based programs. Some patients require four to six weeks, while severe cases may need eight or more weeks.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]