How does Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Work to Identify and Treat Insomnia?

Insomnia is a common sleep problem where people face difficulty falling asleep, wake up too early, or are unable to get back to sleep. Living with this kind of sleep disorder can be challenging, thereby, you will need a structured and effective approach to combat symptoms of insomnia.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for insomnia is usually suggested as the first line of treatment to identify and replace negative thoughts and behaviours with good habits that promote peaceful sleep. Instead of depending on sleeping pills, CBT-I can be the best sleeping disorder treatment in Singapore to overcome underlying causes of insomnia.

What is Insomnia?

If we describe insomnia in simple words, it means poor sleep. About one-third of adults don’t get enough sleep as they would like. Common experiences may include:

• Not being able to sleep properly
• Waking for long periods in the night
• Waking up too early
• Not feeling refreshed after a night’s sleep

If you have poor sleep for a longer time span, it can adversely affect your life in many ways. It can cause:

• Fatigue and loss of energy in the daytime
• Poor concentration
• Loss of interest in daily activities
• Depression and anxiety
• Irritability
• Worsen quality of life

How does Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Work for Insomnia?

CBT-I is an effective sleep disorder therapy that teaches you to identify and change thinking patterns that affect your ability to sleep. This type of therapy session can help eliminate negative thoughts, behaviours, and worries that keep you awake. The behavioural part of CBT-I encourages you to adopt good sleep habits and pave a way for healthier, happier life.

Depending on your needs, a therapist may recommend you the following CBT-I techniques:

• Stimulus Control Therapy – helps eliminate factors that alert your mind to resist sleep
• Sleep Restriction – Lying in bed when you’re awake can be a common habit that results in poor sleep. Once your sleep cycle gets improved, your time in bed can gradually increase.
• Sleep Hygiene – involves changing lifestyle habits that influence sleep quality, such as excessive alcohol consumption, caffeine late in the day, or not getting regular exercise. 
• Relaxation Technique – helps to calm your body and mind. Approaches include muscle relaxation, meditation, imagery, and more.
• Sleep Environment Improvement – learn ways to create a comfortable sleep environment, such as keeping your bedroom dark, quiet and cool, switching off the TV, and others.

Insomnia and Other Disorders

Insomnia can be linked to a number of mental and physical health problems. Ongoing poor-quality sleep increases the risk of health conditions, such as chronic pain, discomfort, tiredness, and other severe issues. If you have a condition that is connected to insomnia, talk to a therapist on how to manage things along with sleep disorders. 

Find the Right Help for Insomnia

MindEase offers result-driven insomnia treatment in Singapore by combining counselling and hypnotherapy to support positive lifestyle changes. Our sessions are tailor-made and well-structured to help eliminate negative beliefs and restore happiness in your life. We will teach you how to handle stress effectively and get quality sleep at night, via cognitive counselling sessions.

If you’re struggling to have sound sleep at night, contact us for insomnia counselling therapy.