CBT – I Technique (The Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia)

CBT-I or The Cognitive Behavioral therapy for Insomnia is a short term therapy model which is used to treat insomnia without any medication. Insomnia is a problem where people face difficulties to fall asleep and this CBT-I technique helps to improve the sleeping habit by identifying and changing the thoughts which affect the ability to sleep of a person.

Now you must be thinking that how a therapy can identify our thoughts? It’s like mind reading, right? Well the thing is, during the therapy a trained CBT – I provider tries to identify the thoughts and beliefs that contribute to the insomnia, then the CBT – I provider examines the patient’s behavior to determine if they promote sleep. After all these the therapist clarifies the misconceptions and challenges in a conductive way to the patient.

Components CBT – I Technique

This therapy has 5 primary components:

1. Consolidation of sleep
2. Stimulus control
3. Utilization of relaxation techniques
4. Sleep hygiene instruction
5. Cognitive therapy

There are a few relaxation techniques which are commonly taught in CBT- I Technique. These are Breathing Exercise, Progressive muscle relaxation, Autogenic training, biofeedback, Hypnosis and Meditation.

CBT is also effective on a variety of conditions, such as:

• Addictions
• Anxiety disorders
• Bipolar disorders
• Chronic pain
• Depression
• Eating disorders
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Phobias
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Schizophrenia
• Sexual disorders
• Sleep disorders
• Tinnitus

At the beginning of the therapy some people may feel stressful or uncomfortable to confront their problems to the therapist. But rest assured this happens with everyone. The therapy doesn’t work overnight; it takes commitment and several sessions. In most of the cases the patient needs 6 to 8 sessions but in few cases the patient may need more sessions and it varies person to person. Session generally lasts about an hour and can be arranged once in a week depending upon the availability.

The above mentioned Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia is a very effective method without any harmful side effects and person suffering from insomnia can try this before undergoing any medical treatment or taking mdicines.

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