Many things can lead toinsomnia.
Chronic illnesses, pain, and psychiatric problems are all common causes of sleepless nights.
Specifically, what your body has been taught to associate with sleep.
Illustration by Jocelyn Runice
She likens it to classic conditioning.
Before insomnia, you associate your bed with sleep.
Bed, sleepthe logical train of thought.
And that extra association with your bed is what really takes hold," Harris explains.
To cure insomnia, it’s crucial to change that association.
“In most cases, you have to target this behavioral stuff to be able to sleep better.”
In fact, cognitive behavioral therapy is often the first line of treatment for insomnia.
The National Institute of Healthrecognizes CBT-I as a safe and effectivemethod for managing chronic insomnia.
It’s also what Harris uses to treat her patients.
Here’s what Harris suggests to her patients, and, now, you.
This is key to keep your mind clear on what your bed is for.
It’s hard to do at 2 or 3 A.M., but get up and relocate.
“It’s one of the most effective treatments,” she says.
Do something quiet and relaxing in dim light, and stay away from light-emitting screens, she recommends.
If you lay back down and still can’t sleep, get up and do it all over again.
“You have to retrain your body.
The more you do it the more body will learn,” Harris says.
This also means that you shouldn’t turn in for the night before you’re tired.
It’s tough to power down for sleep when you’ve been in go mode all day long.
“We think our brain is an on/off switch, and its sadly not that way.
You have to treat like its a dimmer,” Harris says.
“Anything is great, as long as it focuses your brain.”
Tryone of these appsto get started.
Taking your mind off the task at hand will take the pressure off and help sleep come easier.
Keeping a regular bed time and wake timeseven days a week is important for those with chronic insomnia.
If you’re really tired for some reason, don’t sneak off to bed earlier than normal.
Stick to your regular bed time.
The only exception: If you’re not tired at all, you shouldn’t go to bed.
Tossing and turning wide awake is the last thing you need.
“It makes you do math and math is not sedating.”
Yourphone is a no-notoo, thank to its sleep-disrupting blue light.
Resist peeking, and instead, just estimate when about 20 minutes has passed.
Then get up until youre tired enough to go back to bed.
You might also like: 10 Ways You’re Sabotaging Your Sleep Without Realizing It
