The Insomnia Post (Screening and Sleep Tips)

​Primary insomnia refers to sleep difficulties that are not due to medication side effects, caffeine/stimulant or other substance use, or psychological/physical health conditions. Primary insomnia is characterized by:

• Difficulty falling or staying asleep, or waking up too early
• Poor quality sleep; feeling tired upon waking

The consequences of ongoing insomnia include impaired concentration, impaired learning and memory, emotional distress, impaired moral judgment, and decreased alertness and slower cognitive processing speeds. Sleep difficulties are also correlated with negative health effects for metabolism, insulin regulation, cardiovascular function, immune defense, and certain cancer risks. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 30% of adults have symptoms of insomnia and 10% of adults have insomnia that is severe enough to cause daytime consequences.


Helpful Sleep Tips:

• Sleep hygiene. These guidelines from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine are recommended as much as possible to help optimize sleep and sleep quality.​

• Limited daytime napping. If you are a fan of naps, I would recommend gradually decreasing the time spent napping over time until the duration is 30 minutes or less.

 

• Circadian Cycle Shift. If you have difficulties falling asleep or are waking up too early, you may consider using strategies that signal to your body when it should be going to sleep and waking up. Actions such as warming hands/feet, getting daytime exposure to natural sunlight, and moving regularly throughout the day PLUS focused exercise in the late afternoon or early evening can help improve sleep.

Support Tools:   Self-help and sleep aid tools can be very useful- but are not intended to take the place of a medical, psychological or other specialty sleep consultation when needed.  With that in mind, I have either used or looked at these aids that are recommended by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine for help with sleep:


Meditation apps:
Headspace by Headspace: This application offers a variety of meditation exercises. While you do need to sign up for an account, many services are free- including a current promotion for  Headspace Plus for the unemployed.
Relax and Sleep Well by Glenn Harrold by Diviniti Publishing: Has several free exercises under 30 minutes to help you fall asleep or return to sleep. The relaxation effects may cause you to fall asleep before completing the exercise; not a bad thing!


White noise:
I am not familiar with any free or low cost applications for white noise. I have used both of these machines for relaxation and would recommend them:
Dohm Natural Sound Machine
Sound+Sleep Machines

Sleep apps (free):
Sleep Bot by SleepBot: Has sleep tracker, smart alarm and ambient sound machine
CBT-iCoach: App includes a sleep diary, sleep goal setting tools, and relaxation exercises.

Blue Light Blocking Glasses:
I don’t have knowledge of the effectiveness of eyewear to filter out blue light. However, sleep experts recommend limiting exposure to blue light in the late evening hours as it affects the onset of the sleep cycle. Sources of blue light include digital screens, electronic devices, and fluorescent and LED lighting. These eyeglasses appear to also help prevent eye strain and headaches that can occur with heavy computer use.
          Uvexskyper safety eyewear (orange tinted): cut out almost all blue light
          Spektrum Pro Blue light Blocking Glasses(Light yellow): cut blue light by 1/3


When to Get Psychological Consultation:

• If you have tried to get help with your sleep quality without success, you made need extra help. Oftentimes poor sleep is caused by multiple factors- an expert assessment can help identify causes and solutions much quicker.
• If you have had chronic sleep difficulties and tired of feeling tired, ask for professional help. Insomnia and sleep difficulties are a serious issue that can affect your health, functioning, and quality of life.
• Psychological consultations focus on behavior changes rather than prescription medications as a first line of treatment. Some medications are addictive and not intended for long term use.
• If there are health related factors that are affecting your sleep quality, a psychologist is able to consult with your medical provider and take a team approach to improve your sleep and health.

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I am currently accepting new clients via teletherapy and available to consult regarding treatment needs. For more information, contact me.  <3 Be well !