Everything you need to know about cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (Podcast #1)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ก.ค. 2019
- I talk a lot about cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) in the Insomnia Coach® podcast. This episode will explain exactly what CBT-I is and how it helps improve sleep.
The audio from this episode was taken from a Facebook Live, originally recorded in May 2019. You can find the Insomnia Coach Facebook page at: / insomniacoach .
You can also read the transcript for this episode on the Insomnia Coach website at: insomniacoach.com/cognitive-b...
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My name is Martin Reed and I am the founder of Insomnia Coach®. I offer sleep coaching services that give people with insomnia all the skills and support they need to enjoy better sleep for the rest of their lives. I also offer a free two-week sleep training course for people with insomnia at insomniacoach.com/sleep-train...
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All content found on the Insomnia Coach TH-cam channel is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice or medical treatment and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or other licensed healthcare provider. All content is provided as is, and without warranties.
#insomnia
#sleep
All content found on the Insomnia Coach TH-cam channel is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.
Will this help with my shift work I sometimes work days on the weekend mid week I work nights only 4 times mid week nights 1 day shift midweek
@@johnmarathon1400 CBT-I is intended to help with chronic insomnia, not sleep disruption caused by shift work.
Dear Martin, I have been on seroquel for sleep for the past 4.5 years. I lost all hope that I will ever be able to sleep without it. For the past 1 month, after watching and listening carefully to you, I am able to sleep without the pill. I can not believe it still, I am crying because I am so thankful for your guidance. I still cannot believe that this is happening, making me so much healthier and confident. No one can explain it better than you do. I am aware that CBT is used for treatment of many types of anxiety, but I didn't know that it was used for sleep. I listen to you every night. I will write more as I progress. I am eternally grateful and still learning from you.
Thank you so much for taking the time to share this, Yulia - I am SO happy for you! Sleeping without the pills was all down to you - the changes you made, your willingness to explore your relationship with your thoughts, and the commitment it took to do those things. I was merely your guide!
Just starting this therapy. Finally reached the cant take it anymore feeling of sleep. Can you post an update? Curious how cbti is working for you and any tips. Sure would appreciate.
@@marydiscuillo142 Hello Mary! I don't have an update on Yulia's progress - but there are plenty of success stories and tips on the Insomnia Coach Podcast: insomniacoach.com/podcast/
There are a couple of things you've said in other videos that I thought really helped me. The first is, that there is no scientific evidence that insomnia leads to other serious health conditions like heart attacks or strokes. The second is that if there is a battle between anxiety and sleep, sleep always wins. The third is that you can get by on 2 hours of sleep per night, Your body goes into the deep sleep phase. Fourthly, doing stimulus control, it's OK to get up and watch TV until you feel sleepy. Lastly, if you've built up enough sleep pressure, you will sleep, and get enough sleep for the body to function normally. What you've done is take away some of the anxiety associated with insomnia and replaced it with reassurance. Less anxiety means you can get to sleep more easily.
Thank you so much for sharing, Gwyn!
Been struggling with insomnia for 3 months now and what really helped me...if there is ONE key take away from your podcasts is this:
"stop giving it attention! Insomnia is like a bully. Live your life, preoccupy your mind with hobbies and anything else but sleep and you will sleep...at least better"
It's a paradoxical thing. To get fit you must put in a lot of work, effort, planning, strategy...with sleep is more of a relaxation element that gets good results (if it makes any sense).
Thank you!
Thanks for emphasizing this insight! Yes, sleep is one of those things that doesn't tend to respond well to effort!
Thank you for offering this great information so freely and generously!
You're welcome - comments like this motivate me to keep going!
This was wonderful! Thank you for educating me! I've been trying the step away from bed instead of staying in bed and going crazy in my mind rolling around, and it's been helping a lot. I just recite mantras, and all of my mental chatter, anxiety and worry get stabilized on the mantra, and then when I feel an intuitive feeling of tiredness, I head to bed, and I continue the cycle and it's really working like a miracle.
This is great to hear! It can be so helpful to get out of bed whenever being in bed no longer feels good! Not only does this give you a more appealing alternative to staying in bed and struggling, but it also prevents you from reinforcing a negative association between the bed and unpleasant wakefulness, and it gives your mind something else to focus on other than sleep - and this can lower arousal far more quickly compared to remaining in bed!
@@InsomniaCoach Thank you so much for educating me and for offering me with advice. Best. :)
@@JesseNickelltheFourth You are most welcome!
Can you share some of the mantras you use ?
@@Acordionista509 The Vajrasattva Mantra - OM VAJRASATTVA SAMAYA MANUPALAYA / VAJRASATTVA DENOPA TITHA / DIDO ME BHAVA / SUTO KAYO ME BHAVA / SUPO KAYO ME BHAVA / ANURAKTO ME BHAVA / SARVA SIDDHI ME PRAYATSA / SARVA KARMA SU TSAME / TSITTAM SHRIYAM KURU HUM / HA HA HA HA HO / BHAGAVAN SARVA TATHAGATA / VAJRA MAME MUNTSA / VAJRA BHAVA MAHA SAMAYA SATTVA AH HUM PHET
Thank you, for this. It helps a lot.
You're welcome - I am glad it was helpful.
Thank you. This was very helpful.
I'm so glad to hear this, Wen! Everyone with insomnia needs to know about cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I).
Thank you so much 🙏Martin, by your videos my insomnia didn't get worst I had waking up every 2 hours at night from 2 months ,I had started watching your videos then it has shifted I'll wake up every 3 hours now but 3 days, I had didn't wake up 7 hours but again it went to waking up every 3 hours 😥😓 I hope you give more techniques to improve my sleep drive 🙏🏻...
Waking during the night is a normal part of sleep - if we start to worry about those awakenings, that's when it can become a whole lot harder to fall back to sleep!
@@InsomniaCoach exactly 💯 I agree with you it happened to me lots of time , how long it lasts if we want to get rid of that wakefulness twice in a day and going to back to sleep...
Thank you for this!
You're welcome! Thank you for your engagement in the channel!
Thank you!
You're welcome!
Very informative!
Glad to know you enjoyed the video!
so what kind of sleep diary does one keep if one simply does not ever fall asleep without extraordinary measures? How does one begin from there?Ive tried sleep restriction, nope nothing. Even tried total awake time for extended periods of several days, nothing.
Tried stimulus control, yoga, meditation, whale song, hypnosis, nothing.
But with the extraordinary measures I can get 8 hours regularly.
If a sleep diary isn't telling you anything new about your sleep, it's unlikely to be of much value. Quite often, the more we try to make sleep happen the more difficult it becomes. If "extraordinary measures" are working for you, are aligned with your values, and help you live the life you want to live and be the person you want to be, perhaps no change is necessary?
It works to me, thankyou so much. Im not drinking melatonin anymore
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the video, that sounds really great.
Since a few weeks, I startet to hear podcasts with a bluetooth speaker headband when going to bed. This really helps me falling asleep. But when I got that right, I should not continue doing that, when starting with CBT-I, right?
This is a great question, and I think it all comes down to what your intention is. If your intention is to relax, that's fine! If your intention is to make sleep happen, this can be a problem because the behavior becomes a sleep effort - and sleep efforts do not work, because sleep cannot be controlled!
@@InsomniaCoach I would say the intention is to relax. Thank you very much for your time to read and reply to my comment.
@@Schreibtisch1 If your goal is relaxation, then enjoy your relaxation!
Hello coach. Im new to your channel. I discovered this because i am presently experiencing insomnia terribly. I wanted to enroll for a course of CBTi but i don’t have the resources and incapable of paying for the course. What alternative ways can i take to battle this insomnia? Thank you in advance for your help couch.
Welcome, Rosecille! You might want to give my free two-week sleep training course a try: insomniacoach.com/sleep-training/
What if you have a bad night everynight?? The last 3 months i have barely slept .. only if i take meds i will sleep maybe 4 or 5 hours. Any help ?
I wonder about using melatonin and trazadone? I have been diagnosed with sleep apnea. I've been using a CPAP machine for five years. Recently I've discontinued using the Melatonin and the Trazadone as sleep aids. I'm getting about 4 - 6 hours. I've recently decided to begin CBTI.
Sleep apnea isn't my area of expertise so I can't offer any guidance there. What I can tell you is that melatonin doesn't generate sleep - in fact, no supplement or medication can generate sleep! Pills might generate sedation or lower sleep-related worry (which is often a barrier to sleep) but any sleep we get is only ever generated by our body and our own biological sleep drive. It sounds as though you've decided to begin CBT-I and I have no doubt you'll find it helpful, Scott!
From today I am gonna follow you and also started your 2 weeks free emails course ..... is this sufficient for me to get back to track
Many people find the two-week course to be sufficient, Kunjali! insomniacoach.com/sleep-training/
I’ve always been anxious, but with all the things going on this year it got worse and started affecting my sleep. I did some research and this video provided me with probably best explanation of cbti. I’m about to give this a go, but I have a question for insomnia coach. Working out is part of my lifestyle but seeing how applyig cbti could affect my sleep at the beginning, and by that body recovery, do you recommend stoping working out in the innitial phase od cbti, more specifficaly sleep restricion?
Glad you found this video helpful! If working out is something you enjoy, I'd suggest continuing to work out - perhaps that might also give you the opportunity to see whether sleep has a huge effect on your ability to work out, or not!
@@InsomniaCoach Thank you for the answer. Your videos really helped me.
@@matebuzov3107 You're welcome!
My question is what if your suffering from chronic insomnia but mine is the other way around I work 12 hour grave yard shift from 6pm to 6 am and I been suffering with this problem over 5 months does this techniques apply the same in my case?
CBT-I techniques are helpful for chronic insomnia - they aren't intended to help with other sleep disorders, especially when shift work is an issue. In your case, working with a behavioral sleep medicine specialist or someone who specializes in circadian rhythm sleep disorders might be an avenue worth exploring.
Thank you. Okay. Here i go --it starts tonight. Sick of long nights and dreading sleeptime. My husband sleeps like a log for 9 hours. Im so jealous and wonder what that must be like. Hope to find out.
How have you been getting on, Mary?
one question - i used the bed as a place to watch movies listen to music, do work before my insomnia trigger started - now avoiding the room where i sleep is an issue because a very small house = advice please
I think it's probably OK to do that stuff in bed if you don't have any alternative place to do those activities.
Martin, I am so thankful I’ve found you! Thank you for putting all this excellent info out there for us tormented souls. I do have a question, I find that in the middle of the night I wake from hunger. I’m working on balancing my blood sugar but nothing seems to get that hungry to stop when I wake up. I’d like to know if I should be eating in the night, and if so what you’d recommend? Many thanks!
I am grateful to have you here! I don't usually suggest eating at night since that can be a wakefulness cue for the body clock - but it's probably going to have less of an effect on sleep compared to lying awake wondering whether or not you should eat something!
@@InsomniaCoach good to know. I should tell you that I’ve had chronic insomnia since January 2021 and have felt like I’ve been dying ever since. However, after using the techniques you’ve taught me, I’m finally sleeping again! You’ve been a true Godsend to me and I’m deeply grateful you are here. You have my prayers and profound respect. 🙏🏻
@@annedemarie I appreciate you sharing, and thank you for your kind words! Which techniques did you find most helpful?
@@InsomniaCoach sleep restriction has been the best thing so far, but also telling myself I’ll get though the day despite only sleeping three hours and challenging the false belief I have to deprive myself of having a productive and enjoyable day, really moved my mind and body in the right direction. I’m treating my brain like a little child I need to discipline and remind her she can and must do this even if she doesn’t like it. And it’s working very well 😊
@@annedemarie Thank you so much for sharing, Anne! Those are big insights that have helped many, many people!
Is cbt safe ?
I'm in a difficult situation and don't know how to use the CBT-I techniques. I was abandoned by my family and live in a hotel room. There's no place to go and my computer is also damaged and is tethered to an outlet near the bed. There's really no place else to go except for the bed. I have really gotten some control of my anxiety levels but I don't even know how to find someone to help me out.
I think you can still implement CBT-I techniques, even in your situation! My video about "countercontrol for insomnia" shares an alternative to getting out of bed: th-cam.com/video/G00ZESFVMDI/w-d-xo.html
How are you doing now? I hope you are all well.
@@alnaslastika3606 Thank you for remembering. I'm actually doing better --- I get at least 6 hours a night which is great for me. I thought the sleeplessness was going to kill me eventually.
Question: what does CBT-I say about the implementation of what I guess could be called a "hard reset", where you stay up all night on purpose to build that initial sleep drive, just as a tool to be used for the first night of therapy?
As far as I am aware, that's not part of the typical framework of CBT-I but it might fall under the idea that we should go to bed only when sleepy enough for sleep - if no sleepiness happens all night, then someone might be advised by their therapist to stay out of bed all night.
Sir,
I have been suffering from paradoxical insomnia since November 2018. Till now i have not visited any doctor.
I don't have sleepless nights but, i feel like i have not slept throughout the entire night when i wake up.
I don't want to take sleeping pills and Antidepressants.
I have gone through Google and have found out that paradoxical insomnia has no treatment. Can this CBT I help me get rid of Paradoxical insomnia? And how long is it going to fully get cured?
You might find this video on paradoxical insomnia helpful: th-cam.com/video/q6iRfT38pMY/w-d-xo.html
How is your sleeping now? Please answer me
What if we don't spend excessive time in bed to begin with? For example, falling asleep immediately then waking 5 hours later and getting out of bed. That's what I normally do on bad nights and feel like dying of exhaustion all day (I sleep 9h on good days and also before it all started used to sleep 9h; for 40 years). So if we do that to begin with how can CBTi help at all?
That’s a really good question. I hope he answers soon.
I used to watch movies in bed for 20 years before it started with no problem. Stopping now would alianate me from my bedroom, how is this good? Also what does that have to do with sleep maintenance insomnia?
Sleep diary? Most people should be using a smart watch for this these days.
People can use whatever feels right to them - there are question marks over the accuracy of smart watches when it comes to measuring sleep in people with chronic insomnia. Furthermore, since sleep is so subjective, what we feel the numbers are might even be more appropriate than what any kind of device reports them to be.
These days, I typically encourage my clients not to record or track their sleep in any way since sleep tracking can end up creating more struggle as we respond to the numbers we see - numbers that, at the end of the day, we cannot directly control anyway!
I have the extra challenge of my partner who snores and makes alot sounds, he goes to sleep very fast. It causes me anxiety , before insomnia hit me i would sleep through his sounds now they trigger me. Also a neighbour has a rooster that cockadoodle doos all night. Im trying to stay calm when these noises are distracting me it's so difficult.
Noisy bed partners and roosters can definitely make sleep more difficult!
I just started having bad insomnia starting a couple of months ago. At first it was a no sleep night once every couple of weeks. Now it's every other work day. I changed my diet, removed everything from the bedroom, and even went to my doctor a couple of times. They of course prescribed lexapro, but I don't want to take that for the rest of my life. I'm only taking a very small dose of 2.5mg. Just last night I started the process of getting out of bed if I'm not asleep in 30 mins. I'm hoping it will help. These no sleep nights are no joke. I'm so exhausted the next day.
Thanks for sharing - it's good to know you are looking for a long-term solution for your insomnia!
How is your sleep now? Dose lexapro help you ?
@@user-mp9lq3xv5b My sleep is much better. I took a different approach. Which involves being positive towards myself, writing in a journal every night, mindful meditation, and not letting a bad night drive me into total fear as it used to before. Don't get me wrong a bad night sucks no matter how you look at it, but trying to figure out why you had a bad night or putting all your thought into it only makes it worse. As for Lexapro. I quit taking it after the first two weeks. It made my insomnia much worse. Maybe it will help somebody else, but for me it made my head feel very weird, and made me worry too much.
@@Seanscichlids Thanks for the update - I am happy to hear that your sleep is much better!
What if you dont have another room to get out of bed? What if you live at a shelter??? Does this apply to the disadvantaged?
In that case, I think engaging in an activity (even while still in bed) that might help you experience wakefulness with less of a struggle can be helpful! The goal here isn't to get rid of wakefulness (since that can't be controlled) but to build some skill in moving away from struggling with wakefulness since that struggle can make it so much more difficult.
What if I cannot walk
I'm trying this technique but it's difficult for me to get up to other places because of my small place like I do everything in bed before my insomnia
I think it's perfectly fine to do something more pleasant in bed if you can't (or just don't want to) get out of bed during the night!
15 years insomnia my doctor jst brushes me off ,yes i do have mental health issue, but i jst want to sleep good with out nighs of no sleep
CBT-I has drastically improved my insomnia after so many years. However, I thought my deep sleep would’ve improved. According to my Apple Watch it’s very minimal.
Deep sleep isn't usually a large portion of sleep - and yet, the good news is the body takes care of sleep architecture all by itself and it knows what it's doing. Sometimes it's all our attempts to get involved in the process that makes things more difficult.
I noticed you did not say to watch a movie when you get up because you cannot sleep. I understand it is not good to be on the computer. That blue light does not induce sleep. If I watch a movie on the computer: is this not a good activity to do when you get up from bed. Thank you.
I don't think it matters too much what you do when awake at night - the real goal is simply to make unpleasant wakefulness more pleasant.
I can't sleep at night but then I'm so tired I take to napping in the day. Is this hurting my efforts? Should I force myself to not nap?
You might find this video helpful: th-cam.com/video/GupN-WPDZaU/w-d-xo.html
@@InsomniaCoach thank you for the link. It is appreciated
@@marydiscuillo142 You're welcome!
is there any episode 2?
At the current time, there are 23 episodes! You can find them all here: th-cam.com/play/PLzlNKjoB23Ll7PSEJHquZjx4QSbZAtQy9.html
Gave this up after 5 nights of no sleep
Sorry to hear you gave up after five nights. The first week is often the hardest. Are you saying you got zero minutes of sleep throughout the entire five nights you tried implementing CBT-I techniques?
@@InsomniaCoach maybe he is too stressed by sleep he cant focus on learning new technique. insomnia really make me stupid and unable to think the entire day.
@@pelilin2519 The techniques can be quite challenging - especially in the short term!
@@InsomniaCoach It is challenging but well worth the emotional distress you go through on the first week. I am at the beginning of my 2nd week now and feeling much much better. Been sleeping for around 4hs and 20 min only but strangely feeling somehow with energy and good mood.
@@danielstreva7415 Thank you so much for sharing this, Daniel! The first couple of weeks are almost always the most challenging! The fact you are feeling good on around four-and-a-half hours of sleep is a good reminder that sleep quality can often be more important than sleep quantity when it comes to daytime performance. Also, what we choose to do during the day usually has more of an influence on the quality of our day than how we slept the previous night!
Dear Sir,I have insominiac from 2015...I took all type of pshychatric medicine and sleeping pill from 2016..(zolpiderm 10mg, clonazepam, mitazapine 15mg ,lorezepam 2mg, essitopam 10mg, nitrazepam 10mg, quantipam 50mg..etc) but now my body is decorated due the side effect of this medicine ,My memory also decreased..Now I am addicted to these drugs..it's very difficult to do any type of job..now the withdrawal of these medicines will tough for me..Now i am hopeless..my age is 28 now..plz guide me some good tips..plz plz plz sir...
There's always hope! It sounds as though you feel the medication isn't proving helpful - so perhaps a new approach might be helpful? An approach that has worked for many people in a similar situation to your own? You might find it helpful to listen to some episodes of the Insomnia Coach podcast: th-cam.com/play/PLzlNKjoB23Ll7PSEJHquZjx4QSbZAtQy9.html
I hope this helps!
If you’re on benzo meds, u gotta wean yourself real slow as there could be a physical as well as psychological dependence. Do it while you’re doing CBT-I.
@@3gaviola Anyone taking medication should always talk to their doctor before making any changes.
Is playing videos games helpful or harmful when you can't fall asleep?
Great question! I think the answer comes down to the type of game you might play - something that gets the adrenaline coursing through your veins might not be the best way to help create good conditions for sleep! Something like solitaire on the other hand.....
Do you need an insomnia coach for behavioral techniques? I’m a kid and I don’t have money to pay for this.
It's certainly possible to implement behavioral changes by yourself!
I don't get sleepy
I don't relax
This doesn’t seem to helpful for sleep maintenance insomnia
These techniques can be helpful for sleep maintenance insomnia, too! You might find this video helpful: Is sleep restriction helpful if your main challenge is staying asleep rather than falling asleep?th-cam.com/video/86AaBCNOAig/w-d-xo.html
@@InsomniaCoach thanks! I’m a week in and not seeing much improvement. That said I also have CPTSD and maybe a bout of overtraining syndrome from
Exercise and life stress maybe it makes these strategies not helpful ?
@@jaymills1720 It usually takes a bit longer than a week to experience some improvements - you might want to check out some of the podcast episodes where I talk to others who have gone through the journey you recently started!
@@InsomniaCoach thanks! Does it change treatment if there’s physical stress and PTSD emotional stress causing maintenance insomnia ?
@@jaymills1720 Heightened arousal (eg stress, anxiety) is usually present in all cases of chronic insomnia, to varying extents. If you also have PTSD I think it can be helpful to work with a behavioral sleep medicine specialist who also has experience working with people diagnosed with PTSD. The Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine's website has a directory of providers: www.behavioralsleep.org
I’m sure you would be able to help a lot of people if you wasn’t charging £1000, absolutely extortionate
I appreciate you sharing your thoughts on my prices, Al. I totally understand that not everyone is willing or able to invest such an amount for personalized coaching - and that is why I offer so much free content via my free two-week sleep training course, this TH-cam channel, the Insomnia Coach forum, and my podcast.