SUPPORT WITH SLEEP

Clients often tell us that after a particularly stressful time in their lives, their sleep becomes problematic. They may experience trouble falling asleep, trouble staying asleep, or waking up earlier than you would like. Unfortunately, for some individuals, even after the original stressor that disturbed their sleep stops being an issue, the sleep problems will remain. Often, the strategies that individuals use to combat their sleep challenges (e.g., spending more time in bed, increasing consumption of caffeinated beverages, cancelling social plans) often prolong the challenges in achieving a good night’s sleep. Our centre has therapists who can help you with a cognitive-behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) approach. CBT-I is a first-line treatment for insomnia, with evidence to support its’ effectiveness in helping those with difficulty sleeping. CBT-I is just as effective as medications to help get your sleep back on track, without the negative side-effects that clients have complained to us about (e.g., needing more medication over time, feeling groggy during the day, difficulty with reducing the medication after sleep has improved). CBT-I goes beyond sleep hygiene, which is necessary, but not sufficient. If you choose to take a CBT-I approach with one of our therapists, you will learn how to increase your sleep drive, pick the optimal sleep window which will hep you to achieve higher quality sleep, and how to challenge your unhelpful thoughts about sleep. For those with a high degree of anxiety about sleep, a more mindful approach may also be explored that still incorporates CBT-I strategies. If you are experiencing challenges with getting a good night’s sleep, please reach out. 

For more information, you can book an intake, complete a contact form or call us at 416-767-7091.