Cognitive Behavior Therapy and sleepless nights.
Can’t sleep? Well, you’re not alone.
I’ve been on this journey with insomnia for a long time and some of you may have read my previous posts about this. Now, I’m on a new adventure.
My doctor told me to try cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for insomnia.
I had an interview with the therapist, and she told me I had to change my evening habits. No more movies in bed, and my bedroom had to be a sleeping zone ONLY! This terrified me! There were other scary things, but my insomnia is so bad I was willing to try anything. I am so tired of sleepless nights.
The first week of therapy was all about collecting data and filling out a sleep journal, but there was one painful change: No afternoon naps! I was tired most days, but the week went well.
My second week of CBT-I therapy was tough. I had to follow a strict schedule for when to go to bed and when to wake up. If I woke up in the middle of the night, I would have to leave my bedroom and go to the living room. I couldn’t watch movies, but I could do other activities I like doing, like reading and drawing. There were several other rules to follow, and adjusting to all these changes was hard.
At the end of the week, I sent my sleep journal to my therapist so she could review it before our next session. When I got to her office, I told her it was the hardest thing I’d ever done. I was sleep-deprived, and I complained a lot and admitted I almost gave up!
We talked for a long time and she told me this was the most challenging week and things would get easier. She guided me through a meditation, which helped me feel much better, and we discussed plans for the third week.
Now, I’m in my third week, and I’m more motivated. I’ll write an article at the end of my sessions to share the results and my thoughts.
My therapist didn’t mention food (beyond caffeine and alcohol), but I took it upon myself to research the connection between food and sleepless nights.
Some foods are more energizing than others, so I read a few articles and a book, and here are some of the things I learned.
Sugar gives you that feel-good boost, and then you crash! Making you feel down very quickly.
Sugar may give people more energy, so eating sweet things at night is not a good idea.
Some articles suggested quitting sugar altogether. Quitting sugar is tough so I’m doing this slowly by substituting sweets for sweet fruit. It’s a process.
Make a list of your trigger foods and start eating less, or eat them at different times of the day to change your habit. These are my trigger foods:
Milk chocolate
Cakes, pastries and sweets
Sugary nuts
Some dried fruits like raisins and dates
My new substitutions:
I eat dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate.
I have lots of tangerines at home for when I have sugar cravings. Some people told me they’re not a good substitution, but my idea is to eat fewer pastries and chocolates—I don’t have sugar health issues. So, yes, tangerines are an excellent sugar substitution for me!
I add a cinnamon stick to my coffee or tea, which sweetens it. But you can’t leave the cinnamon in your coffee for too long because it will give it an awkward taste.
I eat more complex carbohydrates like brown rice and yam; they help my sugar cravings. Small portions go a long way!
I can’t have sweets (and chocolate) at home anymore because I will want to eat them all the time.
Now, if I want a treat, I have to walk to get it, and most of the time, the craving passes by the time I’ve arrived at the store.
I started acupuncture a few weeks ago to help with my back pain.
My acupuncturist examined me and told me we would work on my insomnia as well – I figured I needed all the help I could get! Please! No more sleepless nights!
I feel calmer, and my back pain is so much better.
I can’t wait for my next session. Acupuncture and cognitive behavior are a great combo for me!
More articles about insomnia by Marguerite
Marguerite Beaty, Blogger, Photographer & Artist
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