BEHAVIORAL SLEEP MEDICINE

ARE YOU SLEEPLESS WITH FEELINGS OF ANXIETY OR WORRY?

Is the coronavirus pandemic causing you added stress? If so, you are not alone. Heightened stress from potential health risks, financial instability and changed daily routines is causing many Americans to lose sleep. If you are finding yourself struggling to fall asleep, stay asleep, or if you toss and turn at night from chronic pain or worry about the coronavirus and related stresses, learn about our Behavioral Sleep Medicine (BSM) programs below, or call us 732-455-3030.

BEHAVIORAL SLEEP MEDICINE

Our BSM program responds directly to the significant need for treatment and patient preferences. Specific behavioral and cognitive techniques are applied to sleep problems, including insomnia, habituation to treatment for OSA (CPAP), nightmare management and problematic sleep-related eating behaviors. The most developed and widely used BSM approach is a collection of techniques used to treat insomnia, known as cognitive behavior therapy (CBT-I).

We offer comprehensive insomnia assessment and treatment of sleep disorders at our behavioral sleep medicine clinic. Assessment can involve an in-depth interview, careful behavior analysis, overnight sleep study as well as sleep diary completion.

Conditioned factors and poor sleep hygiene often produce or maintain insomnia. Change in behaviors related to sleep and attitudes and thinking about sleep can help to resolve insomnia. Behavioral therapy can be used instead of, or in combination with, short-term use of low-dose hypnotic medication. Behavioral therapy techniques can be as effective as benzodiazepine hypnotic medications in the treatment of insomnia. However, we do not recommend long-term and regular use of hypnotics, 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 to manage their own insomnia at home and allow them to develop a greater sense of control over their sleep problem.

Behavioral Therapy Treatment Techniques for Insomnia and Other Sleep Problems

• Progressive relaxation and other relaxation techniques
• Stimulus control
• Sleep hygiene instruction and education about sleep
• Adjustment of sleep/wake schedule
• Sleep restriction
• Systematic desensitization
• Assessment and analysis of eating behavior and how it may interfere with sleep
• Development of plan for systematic change in eating behavior that may interfere with sleep
• Cognitive Techniques

Cognitive restructuring

• Covert assertions and imagery
• Applications of social cognitive theory, particularly with respect to approach to CPAP use and adaptation, for those who have sleep apnea
• Imagery rehearsal therapy for nightmare reduction
• Exploration of thoughts that may contribute to behavior that interferes with sleep

​Psychotherapy

• Identification of and counseling for psychosocial factors that are implicated in sleep disturbance