Trending 9th June 2015 by Stellar Magazine

Can’t Sleep? Try This Approved Method For Treating Insomnia

Forget early nights or lavender-scented pillows: the key to a better night's kip is cognitive behavioral therapy, say the experts.

sleeping woman

Top tips for a deadly sleep:

  1. Avoid caffeine, alcohol and nicotine close to bed time.
  2. Turn off all electronic devices (yes that means your iphone!).
  3. Reduce clutter around your bed (you do not need those ten books on your bedside table).
  4. Stick to a regular sleep schedule.
  5. Exercise more.

With over one third of the population suffering with sleep problems, you are not alone in your search for some much-needed zeds.

But forget drinking warm milk before bed or spritzing your sheets with lavender, have you tried cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)? Well you might want to, cos new research has revealed that CBT is the most effective method of curing insomnia.

Known as the “talking cure” it encourages sufferers to associate their bed with only sleep and sex (Read: not Netflix binges or trawling through your Twitter feed.)

CBT aims to change your sleep habits and scheduling factors, and helps to nix any negative misconceptions you have about sleep and insomnia. But it’s by no means a quick fix.

CBT includes regular visits to clinician who will give you a series of assessments, ask you to complete a sleep diary and work with you in sessions to help change your sleeping patterns.

Sound like a lot of work? It is, but experts agree that six sessions of CBT can effectively improve your sleep for up to six months after therapy, making it a pill-free way of treating your sleep woes.

Interested in using CBT to get a better night’s kip? Contact your GP for a referral.

By Laura Somers.