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The Primary Components of Sleep Hygiene 1 Follow a regular (and appropriate) sleep schedule. 2 Do not spend too much time in bed. 3 Get out of bed when you can’t sleep. 4 Don’t do anything in bed other than sleep or sex. 5 Avoid naps. 6 ... (more items)
What are the components of sleep hygiene?
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for sleep disorders. Cognitive behavioral therapy is the most widely-used therapy for sleep disorders. It may be conducted individually, in a group of people with similar sleeping problems, or even online.
What is the best therapy for sleep disorders?
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the primary treatment for insomnia. CBT may also be combined with sleep medications, which are able to help people fall and stay asleep. For some people, improving sleep hygiene may also help. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a condition in which the body stops breathing during sleep.
What are the treatments for insomnia and sleep apnea?
Cognitive interventions: Cognitive restructuring attempts to change inaccurate or unhelpful thoughts about sleep. Behavioral interventions: Relaxation training, stimulus control, and sleep restriction promote relaxation and help to establish healthy sleep habits.
What are the different types of sleep interventions?
What treatments are available for sleep?
Sleep Medications Benzodiazepine sedatives such as triazolam (Halcion), estazolam, lorazepam (Ativan), temazepam (Restoril), flurazepam, and quazepam (Doral) and non-benzodiazepine sedatives such as zolpidem (Ambien, Intermezzo), eszopiclone (Lunesta), and zaleplon (Sonata) are drugs that can help induce sleep.
Which treatments were most commonly used for sleep problems?
Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) can help you control or eliminate negative thoughts and actions that keep you awake and is generally recommended as the first line of treatment for people with insomnia. Typically, CBT-I is equally or more effective than sleep medications.
What are 3 treatments for any sleep disorder?
What are the best treatments for sleep disorders?Sleeping pills or melatonin supplements.Allergy or cold medication.Medications for underlying health issues.An assistive breathing device or surgery (usually for sleep apnea)A dental guard (usually for teeth grinding)
Which drug is used in the treatment of sleep?
Some people take melatonin or valerian supplements to help them sleep. Melatonin is a hormone your body naturally produces that promotes sleep. Valerian is an herb that supposedly aids relaxation and sleep.
What is the best sleep aid?
What is the best sleep aid? While a lot of people might say melatonin is the best sleep aid, our experts actually point to lavender. Melatonin usually needs to be taken hours before sleep to help and really only helps if you have a clinical sleep issue.
Which of the following chemical agents are used in the treatment of insomnia?
Melatonin. Melatonin, a pineal-gland hormone involved in sleep regulation,78 is available over the counter primarily as a nutritional supplement, but it is also used to treat insomnia related to secondary causes, such as jet lag and shift work.
How do you treat sleep deprivation naturally?
Tips and tricksAvoid chemicals that disrupt sleep, such as nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol.Eat lighter meals at night and at least two hours before bed.Stay active, but exercise earlier in the day.Take a hot shower or bath at the end of your day.Avoid screens one to two hours before bed.More items...
Is melatonin helpful for sleep?
The hormone melatonin plays a role in your natural sleep-wake cycle. Natural levels of melatonin in the blood are highest at night. Some research suggests that melatonin supplements might be helpful in treating sleep disorders, such as delayed sleep phase, and providing some relief from insomnia and jet lag.
What is measured in polysomnography?
Polysomnography, also called a sleep study, is a comprehensive test used to diagnose sleep disorders. Polysomnography records your brain waves, the oxygen level in your blood, heart rate and breathing, as well as eye and leg movements during the study.
Which of the following agents is preferred in the treatment of insomnia?
Benzodiazepines that have been approved by the FDA for treating chronic insomnia include estazolam, flurazepam (Dalmane), temazepam (Restoril), quazepam (Doral), and triazolam (Halcion). Rapidly acting drugs with shorter half-lives (i.e., estazolam, triazolam, and temazepam) are preferred.
What is the first line treatment for chronic insomnia?
CBT-I is recommended as first-line treatment for chronic insomnia [1-4]. When used, medications should be part of a holistic approach that includes healthy sleep habits, adequate opportunity for sleep, treatment of relevant comorbidities, and CBT-I when appropriate and available.
What type of medication is used for short term management of insomnia?
Benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepines are one of the most widely used drug classes for the short-term treatment of insomnia. These agents bind to gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors in the central nervous system (CNS), causing inhibition of neuronal excitation.
What is sleep hygiene?
Sleep hygiene is the term given to sleep-related habits. Looking at your overall sleep hygiene is a good first step to take when you want to improve your sleep since it is relatively easy to make the changes necessary to go from poor sleep hygiene to good sleep hygiene.
How to make sure your bed is a place for relaxation?
This can often be easier said than done! One way to make sure your bed and bedroom is a place for relaxation and sleep is to avoid taking your troubles to bed with you. A pre-sleep routine can be a big help by preparing your mind for sleep.
How to make it harder to sleep at night?
Avoid naps. Naps can reduce sleep drive and make it harder to sleep at night. It’s best to avoid naps entirely, but if you absolutely must nap (for example, you are about to drive a car but feel like you might fall asleep ), limit your nap to 20 minutes so it will have less of an impact on your nighttime sleep.
Why do we spend so much time in bed?
When we spend too much time in bed, we reduce sleep pressure. This can make it harder to fall asleep. In addition, when we spend time in bed awake rather than asleep, we pair the bed with wakefulness rather than sleep. This creates a mental link between the bed and activities other than sleep and relaxation.
How to fall asleep faster?
Exercise regularly. Exercise can improve your sleep as well as your overall health. With that being said, try to avoid rigorous exercise closer than three or four hours to bedtime. Exercising too close to bedtime can actually make it more difficult to fall asleep.
What temperature should a bedroom be?
Make sure your bedroom is comfortable. Keep your bedroom cool (I suggest a bedroom temperature of around 64 degrees Fahrenheit), dark, and comfortable. It can be hard to choose the right type of bedding, so check out my article on how to choose the right pillow, mattress, and bedding for a good night’s sleep.
How to break the link between sleep and wakefulness?
Get out of bed when you can’t sleep. Another way to break any possible link between the bed and wakefulness, worry, stress, and anxiety is to get out of bed when you can’t sleep. This is known as stimulus control and is one of the core components of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia. If you get into bed at night ...
How does sleep restriction therapy work?
Sleep restriction therapy (SRT) reduces the time you spend lying in bed awake by eliminating naps and forcing you to stay up beyond your normal bedtime. This method of sleep deprivation can be especially effective for insomnia. It not only makes you more tired the next night but builds a stronger association between bed ...
How does cognitive behavioral therapy help you sleep?
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can improve your sleep by changing your behavior before bedtime as well as changing the ways of thinking that keep you from falling asleep. It also focuses on improving relaxation skills and changing lifestyle habits that impact your sleeping patterns.
What is cognitive behavioral therapy?
As the name suggests, cognitive behavioral therapy involves two main components: Cognitive therapy teaches you to recognize and change negative beliefs and thoughts (cognitions) that contribute to your sleep problems.
What is CBT therapy?
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for insomnia and other sleep disorders. Cognitive behavioral therapy is the most widely-used therapy for sleep disorders. It may be conducted individually, in a group of people with similar sleeping problems, or even online. Since the causes and symptoms of sleep disorders vary considerably, ...
How to use a sleep diary in CBT?
To identify patterns in your sleeping problems and decide on the best treatment approach, your therapist may start by asking you to keep a sleep diary. The details can be important, revealing how certain behaviors are ruining your chance for a good night’s sleep.
How long does CBT help with insomnia?
Many CBT treatment programs for insomnia, for example, report significant improvement in sleep patterns following a course of 5 to 8 weekly sessions.
How to evaluate sleep disrupting thoughts?
In the second step, your therapist will teach you how to evaluate your sleep-disrupting thoughts. This involves questioning the evidence for your thoughts, analyzing unhelpful beliefs, and testing out the reality of negative predictions. 3. Replacing negative thoughts with realistic thoughts.
How many hours of sleep do we need?
Each of us needs a certain amount of sleep per 24-hour period. We need that amount, and we don’t need more than that. When we take naps, it decreases the amount of sleep that we need the next night – which may cause sleep fragmentation and difficulty initiating sleep, and may lead to insomnia and sleep deprivation.
How to make your bedroom quiet?
Have a quiet, comfortable bedroom. Set your bedroom thermostat at a comfortable temperature. Generally, a little cooler is better than a little warmer. Turn off the TV and other extraneous noise that may disrupt sleep. Background ‘white noise’ like a fan is OK. If your pets awaken you, keep them outside the bedroom.
What is the most important stage of sleep?
REM sleep restores your brain. This is stage 5 of sleep and is the most important because it maintains cognitive function. 7 However, non-REM stage 3 of your sleep cycle is a close second. It's when the body replenishes itself, building muscle, healing wounds, and replacing cells.
What is sleep architecture?
Sleep architecture is the basic pattern of normal sleep. You experience two main types of sleep— rapid eye movement (REM) and non-rapid eye movement (NREM). NREM sleep has three different stages, all of which feature different depths of sleep and can be identified by experts through brain-wave patterns, eye movements, and muscle tone. 1.
How long does NREM sleep last?
Brain waves transition from rhythmic alpha waves to mixed-frequency theta waves. NREM stage 1 sleep generally lasts for just five to 10 minutes. You may return to it a few times overnight but not necessarily in each cycle.
How often do you go to REM sleep?
You may enter REM sleep between three and five times per night, about every 90 minutes, alternating with NREM 2.
What causes sleep architecture to be abnormal?
Some sleep disorders and other illnesses involve abnormal sleep architecture, while others can cause disruptions to sleep architecture. Some of these are: Insomnia: The probability of moving from NREM 2 to NREM 1 appears to be higher, 3 leading to more frequent awakenings and lighter total sleep.
What is stage 3 sleep?
This phase is believed to be essential for restorative sleep, which is when your body repairs itself and allows you to awaken feeling refreshed. NREM 3 also appears to be important for memory and creativity.
What is a polysomnogram?
If your doctor suspects you have a sleep disorder or a problem with sleep architecture, they may order a sleep study (polysomnogram). This generally involves spending the night in a sleep lab with electrodes measuring your brain waves and other indicators of sleep stage and quality, such as muscle movement and respiration rate. The results will then be examined by a doctor, usually a sleep specialist.
What is the best way to relax when you have insomnia?
Hypnosis: Guided- or self-hypnosis for insomnia involves learning to relax when given a verbal or non-verbal cue. Meditation: Learning to focus attention through meditation has demonstrated a variety of health benefits 8, including reduced stress, anxiety, and increased relaxation.
What is sleep compression?
Sleep compression is a slightly different, and more gentle approach, often used with older people. Instead of immediately reducing time in bed to the amount of sleep they get on a typical night, time in bed is gradually reduced until it is reasonably close to the time they spend actually sleeping.
What are some examples of cognitive restructuring?
For example, prior experiences of insomnia may lead to worry about falling asleep . This worry may lead to spending excessive time in bed to try ...
What are the behavioral interventions in CBT?
Behavioral interventions: Relaxation training, stimulus control, and sleep restriction promote relaxation and help to establish healthy sleep habits. Psychoeducational interventions: Providing information about the connection between thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and sleep is central to CBT-I.
What is CBT therapy?
Fortunately, effective treatments are available that can help people fall asleep faster, stay asleep, and feel more rested during the day. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I or CBTI) is a short, structured, ...
What is the importance of sleep hygiene in CBT?
Educating clients about the importance of good sleep hygiene is a core component of CBT-I. Good sleep hygiene involves increasing practices that encourage and support sleep, while decreasing or eliminating those that discourage sleep.
What are the best relaxation techniques for CBT?
The best relaxation techniques are those that can be reasonably incorporated into a person’s routine. Here are a few relaxation techniques commonly taught in CBT-I: Breathing exercises: Many different breathing exercises may be taught in CBT-I. These exercises typically involve taking slow, deep breaths.
What are the inputs that affect sleep?
These include inputs from the lower brainstem that relay information about the state of the body (e.g., a full stomach is conducive to falling asleep), as well as from emotional and cognitive areas of the forebrain.
What are the stages of NREM sleep?
NREM sleep is divided into stages 1, 2, 3, and 4 , representing a continuum of relative depth. Each has unique characteristics including variations in brain wave patterns, eye movements, and muscle tone. Circadian rhythms, the daily rhythms in physiology and behavior, regulate the sleep-wake cycle.
What stage of sleep does REM start?
A sleep episode begins with a short period of NREM stage 1 progressing through stage 2, followed by stages 3 and 4 and finally to REM. However, individuals do not remain in REM sleep the remainder of the night but, rather, cycle between stages of NREM and REM throughout the night ( Figure 2-1 ).
How long does REM sleep last?
The average length of the first NREM-REM sleep cycle is 70 to 100 minutes. The second, and later, cycles are longer lasting—approximately 90 to 120 minutes ( Carskadon and Dement, 2005 ). In normal adults, REM sleep increases as the night progresses and is longest in the last one-third of the sleep episode.
How many types of sleep do newborns have?
Newborns have three types of sleep: quiet sleep (similar to NREM ), active sleep (analogous to REM ), and indeterminate sleep ( Davis et al., 2004 ). Sleep onset occurs through REM, not NREM, and each sleep episode consists of only one or two cycles ( Jenni and Carskadon, 2000; Davis et al., 2004 ).
How long does stage 3 sleep?
Stage 3 lasts only a few minutes and constitutes about 3 to 8 percent of sleep. The EEG shows increased high-voltage, slow-wave activity ( Figure 2-2 ). The last NREM stage is stage 4, which lasts approximately 20 to 40 minutes in the first cycle and makes up about 10 to 15 percent of sleep.
What is sleep architecture?
SLEEP ARCHITECTURE. Sleep architecture refers to the basic structural organization of normal sleep. There are two types of sleep, non-rapid eye-movement ( NREM) sleep and rapid eye-movement ( REM) sleep. NREM sleep is divided into stages 1, 2, 3, and 4, representing a continuum of relative depth.
What is the stage of sleep associated with dreaming?
Stage 5 Sleep (REM Sleep) of the Sleep Cycle. Stage 5 of the sleep cycle, or REM sleep, is the stage of sleep associated with dreaming. It is very different physiologically from the other stages of sleep. The EEG resembles wake time. However, the skeletal muscles are atonic, or without movement.
What is stage 2 sleep?
During Stage 2 sleep, the sleeper is less able to be awakened. Stage 2 sleep is characterized by 'saw tooth waves' and sleep spindles.
Where do spindles occur in sleep?
Spindle activity is exclusive to NREM sleep, with most occurring at the start and end of NREM. Sleep spindles engage brain activation in the superior temporal gyri, anterior cingulate, insular cortices and the thalamus.
What is the fifth stage of sleep?
Stage 1,2,3, and 4, are categorized as ‘non-REM sleep’, and the fifth stage, is REM sleep. Generally, brainwave frequencies and amplitudes from an electroencephelogram (EEG) are used to differentiate the different stages of sleep, along with other biologic rhythms including eye movements (EOG) and muscle movements (EMG).
What is slow wave sleep?
Slow-wave sleep is generally referred to as deep sleep, and is comprised of the deepest stage of NREM. In stage three we see the greatest arousal thresholds, such as difficulty in awakening, and so on. After being awoken, the person will generally feel quite groggy, and cognitive tests that have been administered after being awoken from ...
Why is the tonic drive repressed during non-REM sleep?
The tonic drive to the majority of the upper airway’s respiratory muscles is repressed during non-REM sleep, with the following consequences –. Due to the intracellular calcium levels being lowered, weakened muscle contractions are caused by rhythmic innervation.
Which stage of sleep is the lightest?
Stage 1 of the sleep cycle is the lightest stage of sleep. The EEG brain frequency is slightly slower than during wake time. There is muscle tone present in the skeletal muscles. Breathing occurs at a regular rate.
What are the two types of sleep?
There are two types of sleep: REM — or rapid eye movement — sleep and non-REM sleep. Non-REM sleep consists of multiple stages, while REM sleep is just a single stage.
How many stages of sleep are there?
Your body cycles through five stages of sleep each night: four stages of non-REM sleep and one stage of REM sleep . During these sleep cycles, our breathing, heart rate, muscles, and brain waves are all affected differently. Getting enough sleep is important for health-promoting activities such as digestion, growth, and memory.
What is the 5th stage of sleep?
Stage 5: REM sleep . The rapid eye movement stage occurs about 90 minutes after you fall asleep, and is the primary “dreaming” stage of sleep. REM sleep lasts roughly 10 minutes the first time, increasing with each REM cycle. The final cycle of REM sleep usually lasts for roughly 60 minutes. During this stage:
What is it called when you can't sleep?
Insomnia is a chronic sleep condition characterized by difficulty sleeping. Some people have trouble falling asleep, others are unable to stay asleep, and some have trouble with both. Insomnia often causes excessive daytime sleepiness and fatigue.
Why is sleep important?
It’s no secret that sleep is one of the most important activities for good health. When we sleep, our bodies take time to: repair muscles. grow bones. manage hormones. sort memories. There are four stages of sleep, consisting of both REM and non-REM sleep, that we cycle through each night.
How does sleep affect your health?
Even as little as 72 hours without sleep can cause mood swings, difficulty functioning, and altered perception. Energy levels naturally dip at two distinct times of the day: 2:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
What happens when you fall asleep at night?
breathing and heart rate increases. limb muscles become temporarily paralyzed, but twitches may occur. brain activity is markedly increased . When you fall asleep at night, you cycle through all of these stages of sleep multiple times – roughly every 90 minutes or so.
Medical uses
Overview
Treatment
Mechanism
- CBT addresses negative thoughts and behavior patterns that contribute to insomnia or other sleeping problems. As the name suggests, cognitive behavioral therapy involves two main components:
Causes
- The cognitive aspects of CBT include thought challengingotherwise known as cognitive restructuringin which you challenge the negative thinking patterns that contribute to your sleep problems, replacing them with more positive, realistic thoughts. The idea is that if you change the way you think, you can change the way you feel, and ultimately how you sleep.
Prevention
Benefits
- Relaxation training. When practiced regularly, relaxation techniques such as mindfulness meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, and breathing exercises can help you relax at night, relieving tension and anxiety and preparing you for sleep.
Other uses
- Hypnosis can also sometimes be used in CBT for sleep disorders. While youre in a state of deep relaxation, the hypnotherapist uses different therapeutic techniques to help you change negative thought patterns or unhelpful habits and promote restful sleep.
Results
- Making improvements to your sleep often takes time and commitment. Its essential that you find a therapist whos right for you: someone who you can trust, someone you feel comfortable talking to, someone who will serve as a partner in your recovery. Once youve found the right therapist, its important to stick with treatment and follow your therapists advice. If youre feeling discouraged …
Resources
- Finding a therapist Directory of licensed ABCT professionals in the U.S. and Canada. (Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies) The Therapy Directory Therapists in the U.S. and Canada. (Psychology Today) Find Psychological Therapies Directory of psychologists in the UK. (NHS)
Structure
Associated Conditions
- Some sleep disordersand other illnesses involve abnormal sleep architecture, while others can cause disruptions to sleep architecture. Some of these are: 1. Insomnia: The probability of moving from NREM 2 to NREM 1 appears to be higher,3leading to more frequent awakenings and lighter total sleep. 2. Narcolepsy: REM sleep is reached much more quickly than usual,4possibly deprivi…
Testing
- If your healthcare provider suspects you have a sleep disorder or a problem with sleep architecture, they may order a sleep study (polysomnogram). This generally involves spending the night in a sleep lab with electrodes measuring your brain waves and other indicators of sleep stage and quality, such as muscle movement and respiration rate. The results will then be exami…
Treatment
- Depending on your diagnosis or what your healthcare provider suspects is causing your symptoms, you may be treated for sleep-architecture problems in a variety of ways. 1. Sleep hygiene improvement: The first step is often education in proper sleep hygiene, which includes establishing healthy bedtime routines such as going to bed at the same time e...
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which stage of sleep is most important?
REM sleep restores your brain. This is stage 5 of sleep and is the most important because it maintains cognitive function.7However, non-REM stage 3 of your sleep cycle is a close second. It's when the body replenishes itself, building muscle, healing wounds, and replacing cells. - Can alcohol help you sleep?
A pre-bedtime drink can make it easier to fall asleep, but alcohol can lead to more awakenings during the night and reduce the quality of sleep. It disrupts REM sleep, which can lead to health and memory problems. Chronic, moderate to high alcohol consumption can also lead to insomni…
A Word from Verywell
- Sleep is essential for good health and quality of life. If your sleep quality is poor or has recently gotten worse, talk to your healthcare provider about why this may be so you can start down the road to diagnosis and treatment. You've got a lot of options for sleeping, feeling, and functioning better.