Insomnia & Sleep Problems

Sleep is crucial for all aspects of physical and mental health. Sleep deprivation can create problems for adults and children with mood, energy and cognitive functioning often being affected. Many factors can influence sleep, including stress, anxiety and worry, as well as environmental factors such as caffeine, alcohol, sugar and – increasingly problematic – using backlit devices prior to attempting sleep.

Research has shown that psychological treatments for insomnia (such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy; CBT) are superior to the use of medication.

Treatment

Treatment of insomnia involves various behavioural and cognitive (thought-based) interventions. Initially, your therapist will work with you to identify and adjust any environmental factors which may be contributing to your sleep difficulties. You will then learn strategies to better manage unhelpful thinking (such as worry) which occurs at bedtime, as well as specific unhelpful thoughts about sleep itself.