How to sleep without sleeping pills
For most people who feel they have tried everything but still can’t sleep well, they will visit the GP. Although CBT for insomnia is the NHS-recommended treatment for poor sleep, most GPs don’t have anywhere to refer to due to a lack of trained specialists. So, the only other treatment is sleeping pills which are designed to be a short-term solution to the issue. However, if we are not identifying and treating the cause of insomnia then we end up becoming reliant on the pills and when the GP stops the supply, the problem can often be worse.
How does CBT for Insomnia help?
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for insomnia (CBT-i) is the most effective treatment for poor sleepers and with over 80% of people seeing improved sleep in under 4 weeks, you can see why this treatment is so in demand. The treatment programme is a step-by-step method to help you to ‘re-learn’ how to sleep well again by increasing your natural drive to sleep so that you fall asleep faster, wake less and get a better quality of sleep leaving you more refreshed during the daytime.
Can I do CBT-i if I am already on sleeping pills?
Yes absolutely. I always advise people not to make too many changes in one go so if you are reliant on sleeping pills, or just very nervous to stop taking them then CBT-i is still the best route to take. The best way to approach weaning off medication is to reduce your dose to the minimum amount you can and to take this every night, one hour before bed. Then, when you start the programme and see improvements in your sleep you will feel more confident to wean off further as you will have the tools to continue to manage your sleep without medication.
I have sleep anxiety if I don’t take sleeping medication
Sleep Anxiety is very normal, especially if sleeping pills are helping or has helped in the past, then it is understandable that the idea of weaning off them can be really anxiety provoking. CBT-i specialises in helping you to understand and identify how your thoughts affect your ability to sleep deeply. When you are learning to sleep without medication you can use tried and tested techniques to help you to manage your worries about weaning off the medication.
The Sleep Well, Live Better Course- Weaning off Sleeping Pills
Above is a short video from the Sleep Well, Live Better Course which will help you to understand how you can learn to sleep well without the use of medication, even if you haven’t been able to for many years. The course is a step-by-step programme, recommended by the NHS to help you to wean off sleeping medication once and for all. In the course you will learn how to:
Understand how we develop insomnia and break the cycle for good
Fall asleep faster, wake less and achieve better quality sleep
Manage your sleep anxiety and racing mind
Feel more refreshed with more energy and motivation due to better quality sleep.
For more information please register for my FREE Sleep Webinar- no catch it is free and will give you the opportunity to ask anything you need to know about how to improve your sleep.