Distressed by Lack of Sleep? Understanding Psychophysiological Insomnia

Sleep problems aren’t uncommon. Data show about a third of Americans struggle with getting enough high-quality sleep, along with related side effects like daytime sleepiness, mood changes, and difficulty with focusing and memory.

Lots of issues can contribute to sleep problems, and without treatment, even seemingly minor causes can develop into a more complex issue called psychophysiological insomnia. 

Atlanta Insomnia and Behavioral Health Services is a leading provider of sleep psychology therapies focused on treating psychophysiological insomnia. Here, learn the basics of psychophysiological insomnia and how our team can help you break its grip.

Understanding psychophysiological insomnia

As its name implies, psychophysiological insomnia is a type of insomnia that involves both psychological issues and physiological responses. 

Specifically, it refers to sleep problems that develop as a result of anxiety and stress and their effects on your body’s ability to relax and shut down during sleep.

Without treatment, underlying stress triggers a different type of anxiety: the anxiety that you won’t be able to fall asleep. Over time, these effects create a cycle of sleeplessness and worry that can be very difficult to break without help.

The cycle

Typically, psychophysiological insomnia follows a pattern. Initially, you have issues falling asleep that may be related to actual stressors or worries in your life — concerns like relationship problems, work issues, health concerns, or other identifiable stressors. 

Over time, the simple act of going to bed or preparing for sleep triggers negative thought patterns that can make it even harder to relax and fall asleep. In essence, you become worried about your inability to sleep, and that worry makes it harder to relax.

At the same time, the lack of sleep makes it harder to cope with the stresses and worries you’re experiencing in your life. The decreased ability to cope leads to more anxiety and, in turn, more sleeplessness. 

Symptoms to look for

Because psychophysiological insomnia is based on underlying stress, it’s not uncommon to have sleep thwarted by racing thoughts, a racing heartbeat, muscle tension, an inability to quiet your mind, and difficulty getting comfortable.

In addition to having trouble falling asleep, you might find you wake too early or you wake during the night and can’t fall back to sleep. You may turn to behaviors like watching television or using the internet to pass the time, activities that usually wind up making you more awake instead of preparing you for sleep.

How CBT-I can help

Stress-induced insomnia can be especially frustrating since it creates a seemingly unbreakable cycle. But there are ways to combat it, and in many cases, the solution includes psychotherapy — specifically, cognitive behavioral therapy tailored to insomnia treatment (CBT-I).

CBT-I uses a variety of techniques to identify and change negative thought patterns and underlying anxieties that trigger psychophysiological insomnia, while supporting behaviors more conducive to healthy sleep habits.

Our team offers helpful suggestions aimed at improving your sleep environment, as well as teaching you basic relaxation techniques that, though simple in execution, have proven extremely effective in relieving anxiety. 

Deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and similar techniques are simple habits that can help you fall asleep faster and avoid wakefulness during the night.

Sleep restriction is another simple but powerful CBT-I technique that limits your time spent napping or even relaxing in bed during the day, reinforcing the association between bed and sleep to help you break the cycle of psychophysiological insomnia and fall asleep faster.

Insomnia is a serious problem

Because sleep problems are so common, it’s tempting to think they’re nothing to really worry about. 

But depriving yourself of sleep can have serious impacts on your physical and emotional wellness, including increasing your risks of depression, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and cognitive decline.

To learn how we can help you get the sleep your body — and your health — require, request an appointment online or over the phone with our team at Atlanta Insomnia and Behavioral Health Services in Decatur, Georgia, today.