Sleep Issues & Insomnia Therapy & Counselling
Shot of a beautiful young woman sleeping peacefully in bed at home
Insomnia is a sleep disorder characterised by difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or both, even if you have ample time and a bedroom environment conducive to restful sleep. An insomnia diagnosis requires these sleep troubles to also cause daytime impairments, such as sleepiness or difficulty concentrating.
Insomnia is when you experience disruptions in how you feel or function because you aren’t sleeping well or sleeping enough. About 10% of the world’s population experience insomnia that qualifies as a medical condition.
Types of Insomnia
The two main types of insomnia are acute insomnia and chronic insomnia. Acute insomnia describes sleep difficulties that last for a few days or weeks, but not longer than three months. Short-term insomnia can often be traced to an external cause or life stressor like divorce, the death of a loved one, or a major illness. If acute insomnia persists over multiple months, it becomes classified as chronic insomnia.
Chronic insomnia is when a person experiences sleeping difficulties and related daytime symptoms, like sleepiness and attention issues, at least three days per week for longer than three months. It is estimated that about 10% to 15% of people have chronic insomnia.
People with chronic insomnia commonly feel distressed about their inability to sleep and the daytime symptoms caused by those sleep issues. Symptoms are generally severe enough to affect a person’s work or school performance as well as their social or family life.
Signs and Symptoms of Sleep Problems, Insomnia
You have insomnia if you regularly:
- Find it hard to go to sleep
- Wake up several times during the night
- Lie awake at night
- Wake up early and cannot go back to sleep
- Still feel tired after waking up
- Feel tired and irritable during the day
- Find it difficult to concentrate during the day because you’re tired
Insomnia Treatment
Cognitive behavioural therapy for Insomnia (CBTi) can effectively treat long-term sleep problems like insomnia. Generally, it’s the first treatment recommended.
CBTi helps you find out which thoughts and behaviours cause sleep problems or make them worse. You learn how to replace these thoughts and behaviours with habits that support sound sleep. Unlike sleeping pills, CBTi helps you overcome the causes of your sleep problems.
To find out how to best treat your insomnia, your sleep specialist may ask you to keep a detailed sleep diary for 1 to 2 weeks.
Sleep Therapy | Adelaide Psychology Clinic
We are trained in cognitive behaviour therapy for insomnia (CBTi) from Australian Psychological Society (APS) and Australian Sleep Association (ASA) as a CBTi practitioner that demonstrate our expertise in the most evidence-based psychotherapy treatment for insomnia. You can contact us on (08) 7079 9529 or email admin@sehatpsychology.com.au to book an appointment (telehealth or face to face) with our sleep psychologist.
Adelaide Psychologists & Therapists | Online Therapy Australia
Our experienced psychologists can help you understand your insomnia, and learning how to deal with sleeping issues can make a lasting difference to your quality of life.