Cognitive behavioral therapy has been shown to be very effective in the treatment of some emotional disorders such as anxiety and depression. In general terms, this psychological therapy dismantles preconceived ideas and gives guidelines for new, healthier behaviors. It is an intense, but effective job that can improve our quality of life and also serves to treat insomnia. Discover cognitive behavioral therapy to sleep well.
Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia
Aimed at overcoming different sleep disorders, cognitive behavioral therapy has several fields of action. On the one hand, it banishes prejudices or preconceived ideas regarding sleep and, on the other hand, it re-educates sleep habits until it becomes an almost automatic act.
- Re-educate sleep habits. Cognitive behavioral therapy is intended to restore the ability to sleep. For this, it is essential to practice adequate sleep hygiene, accompanied by rituals exclusive to the moment of sleeping.
- Reorganize the environment. We can learn through this psychotherapy how to overcome the external enemies of sleep, such as noise, temperature, or comfort. It is advisable to pay attention to the place where we sleep that we must turn into a sleep sanctuary.
- Automate sleep. It is about following some guidelines throughout the day so that our body finds by itself what the moment to disconnect and sleep is. It is essential to follow regular times to go to bed and get up, as well as avoiding naps and any of the enemies of sleep.
- Eliminate prejudices. Considering that sleeping is a waste of time because we could be doing other things is a very common mistake that should be overcome. Sleep revitalizes and regenerates and the truth is that it is a fundamental step to achieve an optimal quality of life.
- Get organized. Cognitive behavioral therapy proposes the previous organization of the next day as one of the healthiest acts to reduce worries and nerves at bedtime.
- Accept the thought. One of the most interesting proposals of cognitive behavioral therapy is not to ignore concerns, but to accept them, acknowledge them out loud or even write them down on paper. But this exercise must be done outside the bedroom.
- Meditation. Meditation accompanies this psychotherapy because it is an excellent way to abstract ourselves from all those problems that we cannot solve, so as not to let them cloud our minds and to be able to turn them off at bedtime.
- Relaxation. Undoubtedly, relaxation is the fundamental pillar of any treatment against insomnia. Learning to relax is essential if we want to sleep and have a good quality of sleep.
