Find Sleep Therapists near you

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FAQs:

What is Sleep Therapy?

Sleep therapy is a form of therapy designed to improve the quality of your sleep. It can help with sleep disorders like insomnia. It may also help with other mental and physical health conditions.

What Defines a Sleep Disorder?

A sleep disorder is a condition that frequently impacts your ability to get enough quality sleep, leaving you feeling exhausted or sleepy during the day. The most common sleep disorders include insomnia, sleep apnea, narcolepsy, restless legs syndrome (RLS), and circadian rhythm sleep disorders often triggered by shift work or jet lag.

What is a Sleep Therapist?

Sleep therapists are trained in the management, treatment, and prevention of sleep disorders and sleeping problems. We offer sleep therapy consultations with skilled professionals who can provide you with behavioral advice to help with many sleep-related issues.

What are Sleep Specialists?

A sleep specialist is a doctor who diagnoses and treats sleep disorders. Most sleep specialists train in internal medicine, psychiatry, pediatrics, or neurology during residency. After completing the residency, they complete a fellowship program in sleep medicine.

Doctors who receive training in sleep medicine get their board certification from the American Board of Sleep Medicine, which is part of the American Board of Medical Specialties.

Sleep psychologists are another type of sleep specialist. They focus on the mental and behavioral issues that contribute to sleep problems.

Otolaryngologists, also known as ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctors, may perform procedures that address certain sleep issues, such as repairing structural problems with the nose, mouth, or throat that cause snoring and OSA.

How Long Does Sleep Therapy Last?

There is no fixed time frame for sleep restriction therapy to work, but it generally takes about 2–8 weeks of consistency and commitment to sticking to the technique and a fixed sleep schedule.

Why is Sleep so Important?

Sleep has been shown to make us more creative, happier, more attractive, slimmer, less anxious, and more resistant to disease. Furthermore, it lowers the risk of heart attacks, enhances memory, and allows us to live longer.

How Much Sleep is Necessary?

Experts generally recommend that adults sleep at least seven to nine hours per night, although some people require more and others require less.

A recent National Sleep Foundation Sleep in America poll found that adults (ages 18-54) sleep an average of 6.4 hours per night on weekdays and 7.7 hours on weekends. The poll showed a downward trend in sleep time over the past several years. People sleeping fewer hours tend to use the internet at night or bring work home from the office.

The National Sleep Foundation also reported that older adults (age 55-84) average seven hours of sleep on weekdays and 7.1 hours on weekends. Sleep is most often disturbed by the need to use the bathroom and physical pain or discomfort in older adults.

A downward trend in sleep time has also been observed in children. Optimal sleep time varies by age. An earlier Sleep in America poll found a discrepancy between recommended and actual sleep time in children, with actual sleep time 1.5 to two hours less than recommended. Caffeine consumption caused a loss of three to five hours of sleep and having a television in the bedroom contributed to a loss of two hours of sleep each week in children.

What Happens When a Person Doesn’t Get Enough Sleep?

Not getting the proper amount or quality of sleep leads to more than just feeling tired. Sleepiness interferes with cognitive function, which can lead to learning disabilities in children, memory impairment in people of all ages, personality changes, and depression. People who are deprived of sleep experience difficulty making decisions, irritability, problems with performance, and slower reaction times, placing them at risk for automobile and work-related accidents. Sleep loss can also adversely affect life by contributing to the development of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

Why See a Sleep Specialist?

If you indeed have an undiagnosed sleep disorder, seeing a sleep specialist is vital to preserving and improving your health. If left untreated, disorders like sleep apnea increase your risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, diabetes, depression, and weight gain.

The same can be said of a number of other sleep disorders. Getting insufficient sleep or fragmented (interrupted) sleep can put you at risk for a number of serious health problems.

Also, the particular sleep disorder you have dictates how you should treat it—but a physician without specialized training may not be able to determine a proper diagnosis. Many sleep disorders resemble each other, and still, others require observation and testing. A trained sleep specialist understands that there are over 80 different sleep disorders, all with different underlying causes. These causes could be anatomical, psychological, neurological, or related to diet or medications.

A board-certified sleep specialist will be able to hone in on both the specific disorder and what’s behind it. He or she has the capabilities, experience, and testing equipment to accurately diagnose your particular condition and design a management plan for getting it under control.

Seeing a specialist in this field is critical to getting the right assessment and direction in order to make an appropriate diagnosis

Healthy Sleep Habits

You can take steps to improve your sleep habits. First, make sure that you give yourself enough time to sleep. With enough sleep each night, you may find that you're happier and more productive during the day.

To improve your sleep habits, it also may help to:

1. Make your bedroom sleep-friendly. Sleep in a cool, quiet, dark place. Avoid watching TV or looking at electronic devices, as the light from these sources can disrupt your sleep-wake cycle.

2. Go to sleep and wake up around the same time each day, even on the weekends. If you can, avoid night shifts, a schedule that changes, or other things that may disrupt your sleep schedule. This can be challenging for new parents or shift workers. Learn more tips to help you get good-quality sleep and prevent problems over time.

3. Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol close to your bedtime. Although alcohol can make it easier to fall asleep, it can cause you to have a sleep that tends to be lighter than normal. This makes it more likely that you will wake up during the night.

4. Get regular physical activity during the daytime (at least 5 to 6 hours before going to bed). Exercising close to bedtime can make it harder to fall asleep.

5. Avoid naps, especially in the afternoon. This may help you sleep longer at night.

6. Eat meals on a regular schedule and avoid late-night dinners.

7. Limit how much fluids you drink close to bedtime. This may help you sleep longer without having to use the bathroom.

8. Learn new ways to manage stress. Follow a routine that helps you wind down and relax before bed. For example, reading a book, listening to soothing music, or taking a hot bath. Your healthcare provider may also recommend other ways to relax, including massage therapy, meditation, or yoga. 

9. Talk to your healthcare provider about over-the-counter and prescription medicines that may be disrupting your sleep (for example, some cold and allergy medicines).

What Sleep Therapy Can Help With

Sleep therapy may be helpful in the overall management of several conditions, including:

1. Sleep disorders such as insomnia, restless leg syndrome, sleep apnea, and narcolepsy.

2. Mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, substance abuse, OCD, and PTSD.

3. Physical health conditions, such as not getting enough sleep can raise your risk of developing health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and obesity.

Benefits of Sleep Therapy

These are some of the benefits of sleep therapy:

1. Improves awareness and understanding: Seeing a sleep therapist can help you better understand why you’re unable to sleep well. It can also make you more aware of your routine and sleep hygiene habits.

2. Targets unhelpful sleep-related thoughts: Therapy can help identify and correct unhelpful thoughts such as “Why can’t I sleep through the night like a normal person?” or “I know I’m not going to be able to sleep well tonight,” or “I need to fall asleep in the next 10 minutes to get 7 hours of sleep.”

3. Promotes healthy sleep habits: Therapy can help you develop healthy sleep-related habits and routines.

4. Treats mental health issues: Therapy can help identify and treat the mental health issues that are at the root of your inability to sleep, making it a long-term solution.

5. Reduces dependence on medication: Some people rely on medication, such as sleeping pills, to help them sleep. This is a short-term solution that doesn’t treat the cause of the problem. Therapy can help reduce your dependence on sleep medication.

Sleep Therapy Techniques

Luckily, there are effective sleep therapy techniques that can help even the most restless sleepers get more shuteye.

1. COGNITIVE BEHAVIOR THERAPY FOR INSOMNIA (CBTI)

The most widely-used method of sleep therapy is CBT, which has been shown effective in many patients after 5 to 8 weeks of treatment. CBT addresses negative thought and behavioral patterns. If you’re tossing and turning in the sheets, it’s often a mental pattern, such as excessive stress or anxiety that’s contributing to the sleep problem. In short, the CBT method involves identifying negative thoughts and beliefs, challenging them, and establishing a more helpful way of thinking.

2. SLEEP RESTRICTION THERAPY (SRT)

The goal of this therapy is to limit the overall amount of time that the patient spent in bed not sleeping, creating a stronger association between bedtime and actual sleep. SRT follows a strict schedule for gradually increasing the amount of time you’re allowed in bed. You begin with the amount of time actually spent sleeping each night on average.

3. MEDITATION/YOGA NIDRA

Meditation can also be used as a form of sleep therapy. Mindfulness meditation allows individuals to shine a light into their inner mental programs in what’s called introspective metacognitive awareness. In doing so, you’re able to form a better relationship with your thoughts, ease anxiety and alleviate a host of other mental turmoil that may be preventing sleep. There’s a specific method of Vedic meditation called Yoga Nidra that is an excellent way to slip into sleep. The practice involves breathing deeply, setting an intention, rotating one’s awareness around the body (which tires out the somatomotor regions of the brain, which process sensory information, and then often counting backward.

4. HYPNOSIS

Hypnotic techniques put patients into a relaxed and suggestible state wherein their thoughts and beliefs can readily become “reprogrammed.” For those unable to change their harmful negative thought loops using CBT, they may find hypnosis a suitable alternative. The hypnotherapist employs subtle suggestions to “relax,” “let go,” and other trigger words. While your brain’s rational CEO in the neocortex is largely responsible for rumination and other thought patterns that might be keeping you awake, hypnosis allows the hypnotherapist to permeate your subconscious mind and plant code there that will help you fall asleep quicker.

5. BREATHING EXERCISES

Breathing directly affects your autonomic nervous system, which in turn influences your mental activity. Sometimes, trouble getting to sleep is associated with an over-active “fight or flight” sympathetic nervous system, and breathing is a quick way to put the breaks on this mechanism.

How to Find the Best Sleep Specialist for You

If you’re looking for a sleep specialist, make sure the physicians you’re considering are board-certified in sleep medicine. Behavioral sleep medicine specialists should be board-certified in behavioral sleep medicine. 

If your problems have more to do with sleep apnea, a sleep physician is probably a better choice. If your problems have more to do with insomnia, then a behavioral sleep specialist may make more sense.

While some people refer to themselves as sleep experts, sleep therapists, sleep coaches, or sleep consultants, such terms don’t have any official meaning. Be sure to review a person’s sleep specialist credentials to make sure they’re legitimate.

Additionally, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine hosts a search function on its website that can help anyone find an accredited sleep center in their area. For those looking for a behavioral sleep medicine specialist, the Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine hosts a similar directory.

Your physician, friends, or family members may also be good sources for finding a qualified sleep specialist near you. Just be sure to ask about the cost before your visit, as insurance coverage for sleep specialist visits varies.

What to Ask a Sleep Specialist

During your first visit to a sleep specialist, they will ask about your symptoms and overall health. If necessary, they may recommend you enroll in a sleep study or additional tests to diagnose your condition.

A sleep study is a non-invasive test that helps monitor your sleep patterns. The doctor will assess your results and recommend an appropriate treatment.

Before taking this step, make sure you know what to ask a sleep specialist. Consider the following questions:

1. Do they suspect you have a sleep disorder?

2. Should you undergo a sleep study?

3. Is the testing facility accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine?

4. Who will assess and interpret the results of your sleep test?

5. Can you see the facility before taking the test?

6. Could your sleep problems be due to any medications you’re taking?

7. Is your snoring normal?

8. What do they think about your sleeping habits?

9. Are there any lifestyle changes you can make to improve your sleep?

After you receive a diagnosis, ask the doctor about your treatment options and what to expect in the long run. Are there any complications you should be aware of? Is there anything you can do to prevent your condition from getting worse?

Sources:

Very Well Mind

Help Guide

NIH

Maple

Medical News Today

Cleveland Clinic

Life Hack

Forbes

CPAP

Sweet Sleep Studio

 

The content herein is provided for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Medical information changes constantly, and therefore the content on this website should not be assumed to be current, complete or exhaustive. Always seek the advice of your doctor before starting or changing treatment. If you think you may have a medical emergency, please call your doctor or 9-1-1 (in the United States) immediately.