4 reasons people don't cure their sleep problem.
With 1 in 4 people across the UK not sleeping well it is clear that poor sleep is a huge health issue. Having worked with poor sleepers for the past 10 years I have seen time and time again the effects of sleep deprivation on both physical and mental health. So, why aren’t people fixing their sleep? Here are the four main reasons-
1. Knowledge- most people think of insomnia as being a condition where the sufferer doesn’t get any sleep at all, night after night. But did you know that if it takes you longer than 30 minutes to fall asleep more than 3 times a week then you are classed as suffering with symptoms of insomnia? If you wake regularly through the night and can’t get back to sleep and feel as though poor sleep affects your daytime functioning then again, this is insomnia. The good news is that it is a very treatable condition.
CBT-i is a step by step treatment programme which helps up to 80% of people to improve their sleep, often in under 4 weeks. As far as solutions to health problems go this is pretty incredible results!
2. Time- You are tired, you have lots of things on your to- do list and you may have already invested time in other forms of therapy which haven’t worked. Up until now treatment for insomnia has always been via 1:1 sessions with a therapist which are not only hard to access but also require time each week which many people simply don’t have. If you have lost faith that you can cure your problem due to failed attempts, you probably don’t want to waste any more time.
3. Money – I have never met a poor sleeper hasn’t bought at least one thing to try and improve their sleep. This ranges from phone apps, to sleep sprays all the way up to brand new mattresses and beds and unfortunately none of these things will provide long term relief from an insomnia problem. In fact, the more time and money you spend, the more anxious you become about sleeping well and in turn the worst you sleep.
4. Fear- maybe you have heard of CBT-i and know it’s the only treatment which will work but you are worried you will be one of the ones it won’t work for. Maybe you fear that you won’t be able to make the changes you need to or that you will be forced to give up your sleeping pills and they are your safety net. Change can be terrifying and especially when it involves something as important as sleep.
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