Having trouble sleeping?
- Do you feel that you’re not getting enough sleep?
- Do you lie awake at night worrying?
- Do you feel that your everyday life is affected by a lack of sleep?
Most of us have experienced trouble sleeping at one time or another. This is normal and usually temporary, due to stress or other outside factors. If you have sleep problems that last weeks, months or years, this can start to have an impact on your day-to-day life. If you continue to sleep badly, this can affect your energy levels, moods and your ability to concentrate which in turn can also have an impact on your relationships and social life. Poor sleep may also affect your ability to carry out usual day-to-day tasks, such as studying, going to work and carrying out daily chores.
You can’t always resolve the things that are affecting your sleep yourself and if you can’t find solutions to the problem on your own, you may find that you need additional help.
It is always useful to check out any physical/medical causes which may be contributing to your sleeping difficulties and your GP should be able to discuss and treat problems such as chronic pain or sleep apnoea.
Therapy for Sleep Disorders
Some sleep disorders may be attributed entirely to a medical condition but many often have psychological roots. Many sleep disorders develop during a difficult transition in one’s life, or as the result of anxiety or depression. Psychotherapy can be instrumental in helping you to work through a sleep disorder, regardless of the cause.
There are many different types of psychotherapy that may be used to help treat sleep disorders. Many of these different styles of therapy focus on changing behaviours, setting and achieving goals, becoming more self-aware, learning relaxation skills, and empowering you to take control of your own situation. After establishing the root cause psychotherapy can teach you various skills to change unwanted sleep patterns and help you get your life back on track.