CBT-I: Are Sleep Problems Epidemic?

Everyone has experienced insomnia at one time or another.

You may have suffered a difficult night sleeping from time to time, for example, when you’re undergoing something stressful, are sleeping in an unfamiliar bed, traveling to other time zones, or just don’t feel well.  Each of us has lain awake wishing we could fall asleep. This is just a rarity yes? No!  Some are calling the widespread prevalence of insomnia an epidemic.  The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in an article entitled, “Insufficient Sleep Is a Public Health Epidemic” estimates that 50-70 million Americans have sleep disorders and do not get sufficient sleep to be able to function well performing the tasks of ordinary life.  Sleep insufficiency is implicated in many automobile accidents; driving while drowsy has been estimated by the National Department of Transportation to contribute to 1,550 fatalities and 40,000 motor vehicle-related injuries per year.  Insomnia also seems to contribute to many chronic physical health problems as well, such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and others.

More about insomnia

Common insomnia patterns are:

• difficulty falling asleep (sleep onset insomnia)
• difficulty staying asleep (sleep maintenance insomnia)
• waking too early in the morning and not being able to fall back to sleep (early morning awakening)

There are a variety of physiological causes for sleep problems, chief among them is sleep apnea where airway blockage causes the person to awaken frequently throughout the night and awaken exhausted.

Insomnia also appears to make anxiety disorders and depression worse.  Research has shown that the onset of depression is often preceded by a period of insomnia.

Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), an empirically-supported treatment, is designed specifically for sleep problems.

At the Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center of Southern California, we offer CBT-I to the public.

For more information on how CBT and CBT-I in particular may be helpful for you, please Contact Us.

Author Dr. Rodney Boone is the Founder and Director of CBT SoCal, has taught as a former member of the faculty in UCLA’s Department of Psychiatry, and practices in Glendale and Torrance, CA.