Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program

Insomnia assessment and treatment is also offered at Sleep HealthCenters^®.  There are several types of insomnia including conditioned insomnia, idiopathic insomnia, inadequate sleep hygiene and sleep/wake schedule disorders. 

Insomnia is often produced and maintained by conditioned factors and poor sleep hygiene.  Improvement of poor sleep habits, pre-sleep habits and attitudes toward sleep can resolve insomnia.  Behavioral therapy can be used instead of or in combination with, short-term use of low-dose hypnotic medication.  Behavioral therapy techniques have been found to be as effective as benzodiazepine hypnotic medications in treatment of insomnia.  Long term and regular use of hypnotics is not recommended, especially for older patients.  Behavioral therapy has been found to produce improvements that are longer lasting than those of hypnotic medications.  Insomniacs can learn skills that can be used repeatedly to manage their own insomnia at home and allow them to develop a greater sense of control over their sleep problem.

BEHAVIORAL THERAPY TREATMENT MODALITIES
• Progressive relaxation
• Stimulus control
• Sleep hygiene instruction
• Adjustment of sleep/wake schedule
• Sleep restriction
• Systematic desensitization

COGNITIVE TECHNIQUES
• Cognitive restructuring
• Covert assertions and imagery
• Thought stopping

BRIGHT LIGHT THERAPY
• Natural outdoor light
• Exposure to light box therapy