Dealing with Insomnia (Sleep Issues) - A CBT Approach (CBT-I)

Getting good, quality sleep can be difficult, especially for those with busy schedules and who may be in high-stress situations. Many people experience sleep difficulties and sleep disorders at some point or another in their lives.

This program will provide you with information about sleep disorders and effective tools and skills to help improve the quality of your sleep. This is done using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), an evidenced-based treatment specifically designed for those who experience sleep difficulty. Throughout this program you will learn about:

• Sleep tracking
• Healthy sleep habits, also known as sleep hygiene
• Modifying your sleep environment to ensure quality sleep
• Addressing and changing unhelpful patterns of thinking
• Relaxation techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation and diaphragmatic breathing
• Problem solving skills and constructive worrying

All of these topics and more will be covered through the use of lessons, video summaries, and interactive activities. Resilify's CBT for Insomnia program can help you on the path towards healthy sleep.

Program Sessions

Session 1: Sleep Disorders

Overview: This session will teach you about the symptoms and impact of sleep disorders. You will learn about what causes them and how they impact our lives.

Activities: Practice identifying symptoms relevant to you to help you find a place to start addressing your sleep concerns.

Session 2: Assessment

Overview: Measuring your sleep can help you get a better understanding of your sleep habits. Using a sleep diary allows you to track how you slept and what happened before bedtime to see what may be impacting the quality of your sleep.

Activities: Use a sleep diary to analyze your sleep patterns and before bed activities.

Session 3: Sleep Hygiene

Overview: Learn ways to improve your sleep through healthy, positive habits and routines before and during bedtime.

Activities: Engage in a sleep hygiene worksheet and start implementing new habits that promote a good night's sleep.

Session 4: Unhelpful Thinking Patterns

Overview: Learn how to notice when you may engage in unhelpful thinking. Develop skills and tools to help yourself towards a more productive and balanced way of thinking.

Activities: Look to others for differing perspectives and support.

Session 5: Challenging Thoughts

Overview: Learn how to challenge negative thoughts along with ways to shift the focus and judgment of your thoughts. Develop these skills through the use of a thought record.

Activities: See if you can challenge your thoughts by using the 7-column thought record provided to generate more balanced thoughts.

Session 6: Relaxation Techniques

Overview: This session will teach you about two separate relaxation skills: progressive muscle relaxation and diaphragmatic breathing.

Activities: Try these skills out before sleep as they can be effective ways to reduce stress and anxiety.

Session 7: Review and Conclusion

Overview: Learn about the process of constructive worry to set aside time designated for worrying. Explore problem solving skills and strategies to help ensure an effective and beneficial way to address your problems. Look at how you can continue practicing the skills learned in this program after this final session.

Activities: Engage in the problem-solving skills taught in this session to try and find a solution to a problem you are experiencing. Try out constructive worrying to see if it improves your sleep. Continue to engage with these activities for improved and higher quality sleep overall.

References

• Examination of insomnia and insomnia treatment in psychiatric inpatients — Patricia L. Haynes, Sairam Parthasarathy, Brian Kersh, Richard R. Bootzin.
• Sleep-related monitoring on awakening mediates the relationship between insomnia-related interpretive bias and insomnia symptoms using the insomnia ambiguity paradigm — Umair Akram, Eleanor Bickle, Carley Howell, Vildan Ozhan, Jessica Williamson, Andrew Du Rocher.
• Normal sleep, disturbed sleep, transient and persistent insomnia — W. C. Dement.
• Reduced structural connectivity in Insomnia Disorder — Kira V. Jespersen, Angus Stevner, Henrique Fernandes, Stine D. Sorensen, Eus Van Someren, Morten Kringelbach, Peter Vuust.
• Daytime activity and risk factors for late-life insomnia — Kevin Morgan, Department of Human Sciences, Loughborough University, Leicestershire LE11 3TU.