Sleep Problems and Sleep Therapy
We all sleep, some more than others, some less. On average we spend as much time sleeping as we do working; 8 hours/day, which equals 56 hours/week – one third of our lives! How much we need to sleep depends on a number of different factors, like age, health condition and individual hereditary factors. Basically, we consider sleep to be adequate when a person does not suffer from daytime sleepiness or impaired functioning.
If you suffer from insomnia or similar sleep problems, and you are sleep deprived, your normal functioning will be impaired in many respects, with flow-on effects on your family, your friends, your colleagues, and society in general. When your sleep problems get really bad, you may seek help from your GP, and be prescribed sleep tablets – with all their side-effects – or you may choose a safer, natural option, which is supported by scientific research, and treats sleep problems at least as effectively as sleep medication; Relax-the-Mind Sleep Therapy!
Sleep Problems
Sleep isn’t optional; it is a required activity that is important for normal functioning of both body and mind, and ultimately sleep is actually necessary for survival. When we talk about “suffering from sleep problems” or “having trouble sleeping”, we may of course be referring to any category of medically diagnosed sleep disorders, but most often what we mean is actually the same thing that the medical people mean with the term “insomnia”.
Contrary to what a lot of people believe, the term “insomnia” doesn’t only refer to when people can’t sleep at all. It also refers to the common kind of sleep problems that you, and many others that you know, may have at times; struggles to fall asleep at night, or waking up in the middle of the night and struggling to get back to sleep. Or both. With the various effects that such sleep problems may have on your ability to function properly during the day.
A person who suffers from sleep problems and sleep deprivation…
- is at greater risk for having motor vehicle and/or other accidents;
- is more likely to suffer from impairment of judgement and cognitive functioning, irritability, low stress tolerance, as well as lack of motivation, interest and initiative;
- is at greater risk for developing depression and/or anxiety;
- is more likely to perform poorly at work and/or need to take sick leave;
- often finds other personal problems and challenges harder to deal with and overcome.
Sleep Therapy
The vast majority of people who seek medical help for sleep problems are prescribed sleeping tablets, even though they may cause a range of side-effects, like daytime fatigue, cognitive impairments, impaired motor speed and coordination, and increased risk for motor vehicle and other accidents.
Relax-the-Mind Sleep Therapy is a drug-free treatment for sleep problems. It integrates elements which have been scientifically researched and proven effective for overcoming sleep problems; psychotherapy, sleep hygiene, stimulus control, behavioural interventions, cognitive therapy, physical and mental relaxation techniques, and non-trance elements from hypnotherapy.
Relax-the-Mind Sleep Therapy has proven to be a successful treatment for people anywhere on the sleep problems continuum; from people who only intermittently struggle to get good sleep at night, to people who have been dependent on sleeping tablets for years. It is a very effective program, that is increasingly recommended as the choice treatment both as a first-line and long-term solution for overcoming insomnia and other sleep problems.
Read more about Relax-the-Mind Sleep Therapy…
Read more about sleep, what sleep is, why we need to sleep, and what happens if we don’t…
Read more about common sleep disorders…
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