Category: For Sleep
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Myth Busting Six Common Worries In People With Insomnia
Scary worries in the dark People with chronic insomnia have some pretty scary thoughts when they are anticipating another sleepless night. “I’m not going to be able to sleep and I won’t be able to function” “Tomorrow is going to be terrible” “Why can’t I sleep? I can’t handle another crappy night” As you might…
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How To Not Let One Bad Night’s Sleep Turn Into Insomnia
What if my sleep gets worse again? People with a past history of chronic insomnia are often very reactive about poor night’s of sleep. Even if they are generally doing well, there’s an underlying fear that ‘sleep is fragile’ and anything can upset the balance. Just like one bad apple spoils the bunch; one bad…
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Changes In Older Adulthood That Lead To Insomnia And Tips To Fix Them
Insomnia in older adults Chronic insomnia – difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up too early – is quite common in older adults. Studies have found that 15 to 35% of the older population struggle with insomnia symptoms (Ohayon, 2002). In older adults, insomnia is linked to increased risk of accidents, physical and mental…
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Why It Feels Like We Haven’t Slept For Days In Insomnia
“I haven’t slept in over a week” You’ll sometimes hear of instances in people with chronic insomnia saying that they haven’t slept a wink in days or even weeks on end. That’s a terrifying feeling when you are worried about the effects of not sleeping on your functioning and overall health. To be honest, as…
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What Is Normal Sleep? From A Sleep Science Perspective
Introduction There’s a lot of myths out there when it comes to sleep and what is normal sleep. For example, many people fall victim to the idea that everybody needs at least eight hours of sleep to feel good and healthy. This is actually not true. Moreover, for people who are shorter sleepers (e.g., those…
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What Are Good Sleepers Actually Like?
Introduction I often hear my patients who have chronic insomnia talk about what they think a good sleeper should be like. In their perspective, they usually think of a good sleeper as somebody who goes to bed, falls asleep immediately, wakes up 8 hours later feeling refreshed and energized for the day. These beliefs typically…
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The Difference Between Acute And Chronic Insomnia
Introduction Although people often think of insomnia as a general sleep problem, it is important understand the difference between acute insomnia and chronic insomnia. Understanding which category you fall into is essential in deciding how to approach the problem and whether treatment may be necessary. Before we discuss acute and chronic insomnia in more detail,…
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Sleep Restriction Therapy Does Not Reduce Sleep Time
What is sleep restriction therapy and how it does it work? Sleep restriction therapy is an evidence-based treatment of chronic insomnia. It was developed by Glovinsky and colleagues (1991) and is one of the most effective treatments for people who are experiencing sleep disturbances. Sleep restriction therapy works by limiting the amount of time people…
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Why Relaxation Doesn’t Work For Insomnia In The Long-Term
Introduction People with insomnia try everything under the sun to get sleep when they are in bed at night. Counting sheep, meditations, prayers, deep breathing, muscle relaxation exercises, relaxation tapes, suppressing thoughts, among hundreds – if not thousands – of other old wives’ tales. This is not to say that relaxation exercises are not effective…
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Why You Go To Bed Sleepy But End Up Wide Awake
It’s 11:47pm. You’re lying on the couch and re-watching an episode of Friends while munching on a bag of Sour Cream & Dill Lays chips. Your eyes are getting heavy, and you know it’s time for bed, because Joey’s explanation on why ‘moo point’ is the accurate terminology for certain facts that do not matter…
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