Treating Insomnia: Why Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is More Effective Than Sleeping Pills

Everyone experiences an occasional restless night. Your body can easily adapt to a short period of poor rest, although you definitely won’t feel your best the next day. Insomnia is something different. It’s a medical condition that develops when you can’t achieve restful sleep over a period of time. 

Deciding when to seek care for insomnia

If you find yourself struggling to make it through the day without feeling tired, or begin to notice changes in your ability to process information or stay on task throughout the day, it may be time to explore treatment options for insomnia. 

Proper rest is essential for both your body and mind. Without it, your system will try to adapt in a number of different ways. Pretty soon, restless nights can lead to even more serious health and wellness problems. 

Research shows that insomnia increases your risk level for:

• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Obesity
• Heart attack
• Type 2 diabetes
• Stroke
• Anxiety 
• Depression

Finding help in falling and staying asleep can help you avoid these negative outcomes. 

Sleeping pills are not the answer

You can take medications to help you rest peacefully. If your insomnia is clearly linked to a life event like a stressful period at work, divorce, or the loss of a loved one, sleeping pills might offer a temporary reprieve. It’s important to know, however, that medication is not a good long term treatment option for insomnia. 

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) offers a much better path toward restful sleep. This approach begins by focusing on the conditions that are preventing you from falling asleep or staying asleep. The team at Brightmind Wellness in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, uses a variety of tools and techniques to treat insomnia. 

Through her work as a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, Grace Muthami, PMHNP-BC takes the time to get to know you and to fully understand the way that insomnia affects your life. You’ll discuss the circumstances in which you struggle to sleep, as well as what techniques have helped in the past. 

Cognitive behavioral therapy centers on the thoughts, behaviors, and feelings that affect the way you sleep. During your one-on-one sessions, Grace helps you identify thought patterns that are potentially detrimental to sleep and help you restructure the way you process these thoughts. 

Cognitive restructuring involves breaking down the specific thoughts that interfere with sleep. For many, this includes worries about yet another restless night, or the idea that something is so wrong that you simply won’t be able to sleep no matter what you do. 

You’ll learn how to acknowledge that these thoughts are both unhelpful and untrue. The next step is retraining your brain to focus on thoughts and imaging that are conducive to sleep. 

Cognitive behavioral therapy also focuses on stimulus control. You’ll work with Grace to create a peaceful and relaxing sleep space within your home. This includes techniques like restricting access to electronics, altering your lighting, and beginning to associate your bed with rest, renewal, and calm. 

You’ll learn what to do when sleep doesn’t come easily, and explore relaxation techniques to help you prepare for restful sleep. Grace also provides in-depth education on the ways your nutrition and activity levels can play into insomnia. 

Finding the right treatment path for insomnia

Everyone’s experience with sleep is unique, and the factors that are standing between you and proper rest are not universal. Working with a highly skilled therapist ensures that your treatment is aligned with your specific experience. 

Setting goals is a big part of the process, and we’re here to help you chart a course for success, one that does not involve becoming reliant on medication to help you rest and recharge. 

Don’t let another night pass without reaching out for help. You can reach Brightmind Wellness online or by phone to schedule an initial visit and begin your journey toward fulfilling sleep.