Therapy May Work Best for Insomnia

Taking drugs that promote sleep or drinking alcohol are not good ways of handling insomnia. They are referred to among professionals as safety behaviors, and do not take care of the root cause of the condition. A Canadian research team says that therapy is the best approach to treating insomnia.

The work was carried out by experts at the Ryerson University, who say that between 10 and 15 percent of the general population is suffering from insomnia as defined by clinicians. These individuals truly believe that their behaviors are what keeps them sleeping at night.

“Cognitive behavior therapy is the front-line recommended therapy for chronic insomnia. It teaches you to adopt the habits of a good sleeper by changing your sleep habits and having a more relaxed attitude towards getting a good night’s rest,” psychologist and sleep disorder therapist Dr. Colleen Carney explains.

Details of the new work were published in the December issue of the esteemed journal Behavior Therapy, PsychCentral reports.” Sleep is something that has to unfold naturally, so the more you engage in behaviors to try to sleep, the less likely you’re going to fall asleep,” Carney explains.