14 DAY TRIAL // Online cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has recently been proven in a scientific study to be a very effective method of fighting the effects of insomnia. In a paper published in the prestigious journal Sleep, researchers show that CBT significantly improves insomnia severity, daytime fatigue, and sleep quality, and allows for an overall higher quality of life in insomnia patients. The new research also highlights the fact that the therapy reduces erroneous beliefs about insomnia-related mental arousal too.
During the experiments, 37 volunteers entered a five-week counseling program. Some 81 percent of the patients reported at the end of the study that they experienced at least mild improvements in their conditions, with an additional 35 percent of them saying that the change for the better was obvious and significant. Approximately 30 percent said that they were receiving at least one hour more sleep by the end of the test trials, and also that their attitude about their conditions had significantly altered. All of the test subjects developed healthier attitudes about insomnia and did not report an over-active mind at bedtime anymore.
Psychologist Norah Vincent, PhD, from the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada, who was the leader of the research team that conducted the study, stated that the scientists were amazed to find that the participants fared so well without professional help, and without seeing a clinician, or taking drugs, in order to treat their condition. Among the stages of the study, the researchers mentioned information concerning sleep hygiene, stimulus control instruction, psychoeducation about insomnia, cognitive therapy, and sleep restriction.
“Although each segment of the CBT program is important, the cognitive therapy module was the most positively rated. The cognitive therapy section was designed to help individuals to develop realistic expectations about sleep and the impact of sleep on next-day functioning while teaching a variety of strategies for coping with an overactive mind and worries,” said Vincent.