Do you find yourself often awake in the middle of the night, staring at the clock at 2:00 a.m., wondering if you will be able to fall asleep again? Or perhaps it takes you hours to fall asleep. Maybe it is at the point that you almost dread going to bed. You are tired of wrestling with your pillow and … Read More
How Can Trauma Impact Your Sleep?
Sleep disruption is one of the most common symptoms of trauma. This is true whether your trauma was due to physical violence, childhood neglect or abuse, sexual assault, a medical condition, or if your symptoms are due to chronic stress. Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder and it is estimated that up to one-third of adults experience insomnia. In … Read More
5 Tips to Help You Calm Your Mind and Get Better Sleep
Do you have trouble turning your brain off at night and winding down? Do you review the day and think about all the things you wish you had said and done differently when it is bedtime? Or maybe you go back deep into your memory and think about a past event that causes you distress. A busy brain can make … Read More
How to Cope with Nightmares
If you’ve experienced a nightmare before, you know how terrifying they can be. Waking up with your heart pounding, unable to get the images out of your mind. As the pandemic drags on, sleep and dreams have become popular topics and many people are experiencing changes in their typical dreaming habits. Knowing what a nightmare is and how to cope … Read More
Insomnia and Depression: Common Misconceptions and Evidence-Based Treatment
Having trouble sleeping? And feeling depressed? You are not alone. Insomnia and depression are closely connected and also, often misunderstood. It is estimated that 10-15% of the population struggles with chronic insomnia (lasting more than 3 months) and 7-13% have had at least one major depressive episode. These estimates are based on pre-pandemic numbers and likely there are significant increases … Read More
4 Reasons You Can’t Sleep Right Now and What You Can Do About It
Sleep during the pandemic is a topic that seems to be coming up a lot. While some people are sleeping better since COVID-19 started, many more are struggling with insomnia symptoms. Here are some of the reasons why you might be having a hard time sleeping right now. And with a few small changes, you can improve your sleep. Your … Read More
Why your FitBit is making your sleep worse
Wearable sleep tracking devices are ubiquitous these days. As a therapist who focuses on sleep, I often have clients show me their FitBit data and how much “deep sleep” and REM they are getting. This is something that will bring clients to my office in the first place. One of the first recommendations I make is to stop wearing the … Read More
The 3 Biggest Myths That Are Hurting Your Sleep
Lately it feels like we are inundated with news about the importance of sleep. A few recent headlines include: “losing just 16 minutes of sleep can affect next day’s performance”, “you’re not getting enough sleep and it’s killing you” and even “insomnia can kill you.” When we read headlines like this, it understandably creates fear and stress. Many people don’t … Read More
Should I try Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-i)?
If you are like many people reading this, you struggle with your sleep. Maybe you have trouble falling asleep, or it might be hard to stay asleep through the night. You are a light sleeper and wake up tired every morning. Or maybe you envy your spouse or friends who are “good sleepers” and make it look easy. You might … Read More