How Therapy Can Help Overcome Insomnia and Sleep Problems

Struggling to fall or stay asleep can spill into every part of your day; draining energy, heightening anxiety and making it harder to focus or regulate mood. Insomnia often stems from a mix of factors like stress, irregular sleep habits, medical conditions, medications or lifestyle choices.

The good news: insomnia therapy can help.

In this guide, you’ll learn how evidence-based approaches, primarily cognitive behavioral therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), treat the root causes of sleeplessness.

We’ll cover common triggers, what a CBT-I plan entails (including sleep scheduling, stimulus control and thought reframing) and provide practical steps you can start implementing today.

If you’re tired of quick fixes that don’t last, this article will show you how therapy can help you to sleep better and support your long term mental health.

What Is Insomnia?

Insomnia is a sleep disorder that makes it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep throughout the night. This condition causes you to experience poor quality sleep and negatively impacts your daytime functioning.

You might have insomnia if you experience the following:

Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep on a persistent basis
Waking up too early in the morning and not being able to fall back asleep
Struggling with these difficulties, even if you have adequate time and conditions for sleep

Insomnia can be a short term or chronic problem and can be caused by various factors, including stress, anxiety, medical conditions, lifestyle habits and medications.

Sleep Problems & Mental Health

Sleep problems and mental health issues often go hand in hand. The symptoms of existing mental conditions can cause sleep problems, while ongoing sleep problems can cause mental health issues, creating a problematic cycle.

Sleep problems can harm one’s mental health. It can worsen already existing symptoms of mental health conditions, such as depressed mood and trouble regulating emotions.

It can make it harder to concentrate and deplete energy levels. Insomnia can also lead to an increase in irritability and make it more challenging to cope with stress. In some cases, it can lead to the development of depression or anxiety.

Some mental health conditions can cause sleep problems. Many individuals with depression, anxiety or PTSD will report sleep disturbances as one of their symptoms. This is likely due to feeling like you can’t “ turn off” your brain.

Sometimes anxiety or PTSD can cause nightmares or disturbing dreams that wake you up and interrupt sleep cycles. Individuals with depression may sleep too much; however, the sleep is of poor quality or doesn’t feel restorative.

Common Triggers

Along with certain mental health conditions, several other things can trigger insomnia.

These include:

Chronic pain
Thyroid disorders
Sleep apnea
Restless leg syndrome
Heart failure
Keeping an irregular sleep schedule
Having too much caffeine or alcohol
Smoking
Poor sleep environment
Lack of physical activity
Hormonal changes
Aging

Additionally, certain medicines, such as stimulants, antidepressants and decongestants, can also cause sleep problems.

Therapy Options (CBT-I)

If you’re looking for help with sleep problems, CBT-I is designed to help treat insomnia.

CBT-I stands for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia. It is a form of treatment that can help you change your thoughts, behaviors and environmental factors that may be contributing to your sleep issues.

Examples of techniques used in CBT-I include:

Cognitive restructuring – Learn to identify and challenge negative beliefs about sleep, such as “I’ll never fall asleep”
Establishing good sleep hygiene – develop a healthy bedtime routine, reduce stress and create a consistent sleep schedule
Practicing mindfulness – use meditation, breathing techniques or progressive muscle relaxation to reduce stress before sleep
Stimulus control– create an environment that helps you fall and stay asleep
Sleep restriction- Reduce the amount of time you spend in your bed when you are not sleeping

Sleep Hygiene Tips

The term sleep hygiene refers to the behaviors you practice that help lead to quality sleep.

Some healthy sleep hygiene tips include:

Sticking with a consistent sleep schedule
Creating a relaxing bedtime routine, such as listening to music, journaling, meditation or light stretching
Turning off electronic devices before getting into bed so that the blue light does not interfere with your sleep
Exercising at least 30 minutes a day, even if it is a light walk
Reducing caffeine and alcohol intake
Ensuring you have a good sleep environment, such as a cool temperature, low or no lighting, comfortable bedding and little to no noise stimulation
Limiting napping during the day
Only using the bed for sleep and sex to train your brain that when you’re in it, it’s time to sleep
Limiting large meals before bed

When to Seek Help

If you are experiencing a persistent problem with falling asleep or staying asleep, especially to the point where it is negatively impacting your daily functioning, it’s time to seek help.

A medical professional can help you explore options, including medication to treat your insomnia.

You can also talk to a CBT-I trained mental health professional to help you manage symptoms of stress, depression or anxiety that may be present. Together, you can make a plan to find a solution to your sleep problems.

Insomnia FAQs

Why Can’t I Sleep?

Trouble sleeping could be caused by an underlying mental health condition such as depression, anxiety, or PTSD.

You might also experience insomnia if you have poor sleep hygiene, take certain medications, experience a lot of stress or engage in unhealthy behaviors.

Does Insomnia Have an Impact On My Health?

Yes, insomnia can harm your physical and mental health. Lack of sleep can cause higher levels of stress and anxiety.

It can also make you feel sluggish and impair your ability to function fully in your daily life.

Does Insomnia Therapy Exist?

Yes, some therapies can help you with your sleep problems.

CBT-I is one approach that enables you to change your thoughts and behaviors that are related to sleep by challenging negative beliefs and establishing more effective sleep routines.

What is Sleep Hygiene Therapy?

Sleep hygiene refers to the behaviors you engage in around sleep.

Sleep hygiene therapy will help you establish relaxing bedtime routines, create consistent sleep schedules, engage in behaviors that promote quality sleep and eliminate behaviors that interfere with it.