Behavioural steps to overcome insomnia

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A few years ago, I experienced a spell of insomnia that turned my life upside down. Having always been a good sleeper, this sudden change felt like a nightmare. If you've ever dealt with insomnia, you know how debilitating it can be. Waking up in the middle of the night with my heart pounding, unable to go back to sleep, and rolling from one side to the other was exhausting and frustrating.

This period of my life was particularly stressful, and in my desperation, I tried several herbal remedies and over-the-counter drugs. Nothing seemed to work until I found a book that completely changed my approach. Colin A. Espie's "Overcoming insomnia and sleep problems: A self-help guide using cognitive behavioural techniques" was transformative for me.

I highly recommend this book to anyone struggling with insomnia or simply looking to improve their sleep quality. Here are some key points from Professor Espie that I found most helpful:

1. Establish a pre-bed time routine: Develop a wind-down routine starting at least 60-90 minutes before bed. This period allows your body and mind to relax and prepare for sleep. Activities like reading, taking a warm bath, or practicing gentle yoga can be very effective.

2. Control your environment: Creating a sleep-friendly environment is crucial. Ensure your bedroom is dark, quiet, and at an appropriate temperature, ideally between 16-18 degrees Celsius. This mantra from behavioural science emphasizes that our environment significantly impacts our sleep quality.

3. Strengthen the relationship between bed and sleep: Professor Espie emphasizes that a good sleeper associates the bed with sleep. This means not using your bed for activities like checking your phone, working on emails, or watching TV. By keeping these activities separate, your brain will automatically associate your bed with sleep.

4. Leave your bed if you can't sleep: If you can't fall asleep within 15 minutes, get up and go to another room. This prevents you from associating your bed with wakefulness. This approach helps build positive associations and mental maps regarding your bed and sleep.

Following Professor Espie's program, I eventually recovered my sleep and haven't had any serious issues since then. There's so much we can do to aid our sleep; we just need to break the habit of thinking that our current state is unchangeable. By controlling the stimuli in our environment, we can facilitate better sleep.

If you have any trouble with sleep, I highly recommend this book. It provided me with practical, actionable steps that made a difference, and I believe it can do the same for you.


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