Insomnia Treatment

Insomnia refers to difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. Insomnia can negatively impact one’s physical and psychological health. Individuals suffering from insomnia often experience one or more of the following: fatigue throughout the day, low energy, difficulty concentrating, mood disturbances, and decreased performance at work or at school. Poor sleep is a common problem among adults, with approximately 30 of the population complaining of sleep disruption. About 10% of adults experience chronic insomnia.

Staying awake too long, waking up frequently during the night, and arising too early are just some of the problems associated with sleep. Not only is sleep impacted, but often individuals are very tired during the day. Most people require about 7 to 8.5 hours of sleep per night to feel refreshed in the morning; however, some only require 5-6 hours of sleep. With chronic insomnia, these sleep issues continue and are not reflective of just one night of “bad sleep”.When you don’t get sufficient quality sleep, you may experience psychological and health problems. Those with insomnia experience higher levels of distress and physical complaints, such as tension headaches and gastrointestinal problems.

What Causes Insomnia?

Insomnia can result from many factors. Medications (e.g. antidepressants, cold and flu medications, high blood pressure medication, pain relievers with caffeine) are often to blame for insomnia. Certain medical conditions, such as allergies, chronic pain, or asthma, can trigger insomnia. Psychological problems, including depression or anxiety, can negatively impact sleep quality. Additionally, our lifestyle choices have a significant impact on our sleep. Eating certain foods, drinking alcohol, and not keeping to a regular sleep routine are just some behaviors that may lead to insomnia.

Natural Insomnia Treatment

Dr. Mazzei is a Health Psychologist, certified sleep hypnosis specialist, and trained in cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). She specializes in treating insomnia naturally. She will help you to identify the causes of your sleep problems and develop a personalized treatment plan. One of the first steps in treatment is to conduct a thorough assessment to uncover the causes of your sleep difficulties. A comprehensive plan can then be developed to treat your sleep problems.

Dr. Mazzei utilizes cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), hypnosis, and biofeedback to treat insomnia, which are all non-medication treatments for sleep problems. Numerous research studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of these therapies to treat insomnia. Treatments address the thoughts and behaviors that keep you from sleeping well and help you learn new strategies to sleep better. Insomnia therapy can include techniques for stress reduction, relaxation, and sleep schedule management.

In addition, establishing good sleep hygiene, which is a set of bedtime habits and rituals that you do every night to improve your sleep, is an essential part of treatment. Often improved sleep can be achieved within a minimal amount of sessions. Working with Dr. Mazzei, you will identify the causes of your sleep problems and develop solutions to successfully improve your sleep quality.