Those in recovery often have trouble sleeping, which can be annoying and jeopardize sobriety. When you’re sleep-deprived, you don’t function at your optimum level. It can be challenging to make good decisions, maintain focus and stick to your sobriety goals. There is a solution to the troubles of insomnia. At The Ranch Tennessee, we have a cognitive-behavioral therapy program for insomnia. This type of treatment is often recommended as the first treatment option. Call us at 1.844.876.7680 to learn more about CBT for insomnia.
Effects of Insomnia
Even without being in recovery, sleep deprivation makes a person more susceptible to developing infections, high blood pressure, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Additionally, insomnia can cause a person to make on-the-job mistakes, driving errors, and other problems with learning and memory. Recovery from addiction is difficult enough, but adding in other factors such as depression, anxiety, guilt, and shame can be a recipe for disaster.
Sure, some medications are available to aid in sleep, but those shouldn’t take these with a history of substance abuse or addiction. They are only meant for a few days and can quickly become habit-forming. You never want to add to your addiction profile by taking yet another drug when you just got clean and sober through treatment. Besides, sleeping pills lose their effectiveness over time and also contribute to the following:
- Potentially severe interactions with alcohol and other medications
- Rebound insomnia or constant grogginess that leads to more insomnia
- Short-term amnesia, dizziness, nausea, weakness, confusion, and high blood pressure
- Mask underlying causes, such as depression, heart trouble, or other diseases, and cause a delay in seeking treatment
- Bizarre behavior that goes beyond traditional sleepwalking
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Sleep Deprivation
Cognitive-behavioral therapy, or CBT, is one type of treatment you may have encountered while in treatment. CBT has emerged as a very effective treatment for those who have insomnia or chronic sleep disturbances. It is an excellent and safe alternative to sleeping pills.
This short-term treatment also can assist in ridding you of depression, panic attacks, anxiety, and other problems associated with your former drug or alcohol use. CBT for insomnia increases effectiveness when paired with other substance abuse treatment programs.
How CBT for Insomnia Works
Cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia works by helping you to change thoughts and actions. CBT targets those thoughts and actions that interfere with sleep for an inability to sleep. The approach is based on the fact that what you think and how you act affect the way you feel. Treatment usually requires four to eight 30-minute sessions with a trained CBT sleep therapist. Through CBT techniques, you learn to:
- Recognize and change false beliefs that may be interfering with your good night’s sleep
- Deal with misperceptions you may have about how long you sleep
- Reprogram your brain’s sleep-wake cycle
- Target specific behaviors that negatively impact sleep, including lack of exercise and drinking caffeinated beverages before going to sleep
Different CBT Elements for Dealing with Insomnia
CBT uses a multi-faceted approach to dealing with insomnia, just as it treats other conditions. But CBT does require practice to be most effective. Some or all of the following may be effective in your particular case:
- Relaxation training – Includes muscle relaxation, meditation, and hypnosis.
- Biofeedback – Measures muscle tension and brain wave frequency, intending to help you to control them.
- Sleep restriction – Reducing the amount of time you spend in bed not sleeping.
- Sleep hygiene – Eliminating negatively impactful activities such as drinking caffeine, smoking, and not exercising regularly.
- Stimulus control – Helps you associate the bedroom with only two activities: sleep and sex.
- Remaining passively awake – A technique that helps you avoid anxiety about going to sleep and forgetting about it so that you eventually fall asleep.
- Cognitive control and psychotherapy – A technique to eliminate or control worrisome thoughts or mistaken beliefs that keep you awake.
CBT might not be for everyone. You may not feel comfortable with some of the techniques. CBT may also require more time and effort than you are willing or able to invest in improving your sleep.
How Can Behavioral Therapy for Sleep Help?
Behavioral therapy for sleep could help you if you find that your insomnia is:
- Caused by a change in work hours or environment
- The result of a stressful life event, such as the death of a loved one, divorce, or job loss
- Triggered by another sleep disorder, such as restless legs syndrome
- Linked to anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues
- In many cases, behavioral therapy for sleep is the only treatment you’ll need.
Reach out to The Ranch Tennessee to better understand if behavioral sleep therapy could be a suitable option for you.
Discover a CBT Program for Sleep Deprivation at The Ranch Tennessee
At The Ranch Tennessee, we understand CBT and its benefits for those struggling with insomnia. Our CBT program is designed to help you:
- Recognize and change thoughts that may be interfering with good sleep
- Develop healthy sleep habits
- Reprogram your brain’s sleep-wake cycle
- Eliminate behaviors that negatively impact sleep
We use CBT techniques to help you cope with any emotions or stressors that may keep you awake at night. Our CBT program is tailored to your unique needs and can be completed in as little as four to eight weeks. If you’re struggling with insomnia, reach out to The Ranch Tennessee today to learn more about our CBT program and how we can help you get the rest you need. Call our team at 1.844.876.7680, and we’d be happy to answer any of your questions.
