CBT for Sleep Enhancement

Its basic premise is that when a person becomes aware of unhelpful negative thoughts, and therefore uses conscious effort to adjust them, they can react to challenging life events in a healthier way. Additionally, CBT can help people gain a better understanding of themselves, their relationships, life choices, and attitudes.

Definition and Goals

The aim of CBT ultimately is to change a person’s inaccurate, subconscious processes, to change unhealthy behavior.

CBT is all about becoming aware of your thoughts and emotions, how they shape the way you see the world, and therefore how you act upon it. Even the name of this approach suggests how closely related it is to the way in which we perceive the world.

The word “cognitions” refers to all the mental processes that help us perceive, understand, and recreate the world we live in. “Behavioral”, on the other hand, involves the ways in which we act. CBT, therefore, is a type of therapy, which aims to help us achieve a more beneficial behavior, by allowing us to change our unrealistic, unhealthy perceptions.

The Benefits

By now you are well aware that sleep disorders tend to have a cyclical nature. This is also true for many emotions states, up to the point where you feel stressed because you’ve been stressed out lately.

CBT helps slow down and diminish similar vicious cycles, by making you confront and act against your toxic thought patterns. This is why, in the case of sleep disorders and emotional intelligence, CBT is always recommended. It commonly agreed upon, by sleep experts, that cognitive behavioral techniques are safe, helpful and can drastically reduce sleep problems, in addition to improving your overall quality of sleep.

Although the success rate varies depending on the studies and sources, CBT is accepted as an advantageous method, whether it comes to sleep disorders, mood disorders, or other psychological needs.

It's Not What You Might Think

If you have never been to therapy before, you probably envision it as the clichéd image of someone laying on a couch, pouring their heart out, while the therapist stays mute and only takes notes. However, you can relax - that is not what CBT is about at all. Not only in CBT, but in all forms of therapy, both the client and therapist have significant roles to play.

Still, one aspect of CBT that differentiates it from other approaches is many of its techniques can be successfully self-applied. If you’re truly committed, take them seriously, and know when to ask for help, you can use this approach by yourself.

The Importance of Therapy

Remember that just because you can apply some of the techniques on your own, in no way means that therapy, with a therapist, is to be disregarded. It can help you achieve a lot of wonderful things for your life.

However, since this is a self-help course, we’d like to stress upon the improvement you can create on your own. Benefiting from proven techniques to help yourself, would not have been possible, without the dedicated work of professionals, over the course of many years.

Continue With What You've Learned

While you practice the techniques you are about to learn in the next few articles; it is crucial to continue using the sleep hygiene tips and recommendations. They’re a must to reprogram your mind and body and to finally get the rest you deserve.