Category: For Sleep
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Why Sleep Hygiene Doesn’t Work For Insomnia
Introduction When you bring your sleep problems to friends, family members, and even doctors, the most common answer is usually sleep hygiene. For many people (especially those who don’t struggle with sleep), sleep hygiene is seen as the ultimate panacea for sleep difficulties. In fact, one study found that sleep hygiene was among the top…
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Improving Sleep For People With Chronic Pain
The Relationship Between Pain and Insomnia Pain is tough to deal with. Chronic pain is even tougher because it is often a lifelong journey for many people. For some, managing their chronic pain is something requires a significant amount of patience, energy, and resources. One particularly big issue is the relationship between pain and sleep.…
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Should I choose medication or therapy for my insomnia?
Introduction When I am doing clinical work, my priority is always with the patient. And every patient is different – they each have their own varied lived experiences that come with a unique set of goals and beliefs. Therefore, there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to providing treatment recommendations. I am not in the…
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How the 8-hour sleep myth might be causing insomnia
The reality of sleep needs When I work with people with insomnia, one sleep goal I repeatedly hear from my patients is “I want to get 8 hours of sleep” or “if I could just get 8 hours of sleep, I would be so happy”. This is not surprising at all because many people have…
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Paradoxical Intention for Sleep Anxiety
The Insomnia Paradox It’s said that the dark is for dreaming,But for me, it’s a waking nightmare.And it goes on, and on, and on…Into eternity. It is the paradox of insomnia,The more I cry, the more it grows.The more I try, the further sleep goes.So it goes… To this eternal damnation, I have come to…
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The Three Causes of Insomnia and How to Fix Them
What is Insomnia Disorder? Depending on how we define insomnia, up to 50% of the population experiences some type of sleep problem. Insomnia disorder is defined as difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up too early, at least 3 days a week, for a significant duration (>3 months). Insomnia is a 24-hour disorder and…
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Worry Logs for a Good Night’s Sleep
Introduction Have you ever gone to bed ready for sleep, and then your entire night is filled with thoughts such as: “I have to get the car fixed”, “I need to find a babysitter for the kids on Friday”, “what if I get sick and can’t work”? These thoughts can cause a lot of distress…
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What do I do when I am tired? Strategies for Fatigue Management
What is fatigue and how is it different from sleepiness? People often interchangeably use the terms “feeling tired/fatigued” and “feeling sleepy”. However, for us nerds in sleep science, we like to be pedantic and differentiate being tired from being sleepy because there is use is knowing which one you are feeling. In simple terms,…
Simply mental health 