Approach
Why This Works
and other fail
As with any area in life, when a problem becomes pressing, we tend to search for a quick solution – a magic pill, a quick fix that will immediately, effortlessly, and if only possible, cheaply, solve it all in one single swoop. This is valid for all areas of life ranging from areas of personal health, relationships, and career, and also on the organizational level. The list is endless, with sleep definitely being present in it as well.
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Only a keystroke away by Googling the term 'solution to sleep problems' results in more than half a billion results. We can observe a wide range of possibilities, tools, approaches, and various types of medical and semi-medical aids. Almost all of them suggest using an external agent that is supposed to help us overcome our sleep problems. Although I am certain that a lot of these agents help in specific situations, I suspect that the majority of them only cover the problem. It is my belief that if we want to remedy sleep problems for good, we should not look for shortcuts but search for the origin and deal with it.
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Remember when you were young and had no problems falling asleep? It happened automatically, worked without problems and the only problem was the annoying alarm clock which always seem to go off too early. Well, how come you once were able to do it and now it is causing you problems? It would almost seem as if you have forgotten this skill or have pushed the importance of sleep so far away from what is essential in life, that it would seem as if has gone to oblivion.
This course is about removing sleep-blocking elements (environmental, habitual, and mental) and afterward bringing this once-known skill back into the known. In the area of conscious awareness where you can apply, observe, assess, correct, and improve it and eventually regaining full control over sleep.
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The methods in this course are predominantly based on behavioral therapy, with some of them also having elements of cognitive therapy. Combined, such methodology is called Cognitive Behavioral Theory - Insomnia (CBTI) and is the recommended approach for insomnia by Harvard Medical School, Mayo Clinic, WebMD, National Sleep Foundation, and the National Institute of Health.
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What is so special about it? See below its advantages and disadvantages.
ADVANTAGES
1. RESOLVING TRUE ISSUE
Not just treating the symptoms or providing a temporal cover of the real problem.
External tools or supplements usually provide an effective temporal patch, but by only covering and/or hiding the true problem via introducing a new, sleep conducive, state. They achieve this regardless of the true problem that is blocking sleep.
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Approaches used in this course work differently. Even though they offer some quick solutions for dire occasions, they seek to uncover and remedy the causes and if possible block or even completely remove the sources which led to sleep hindrances. In this manner, a long-term solution to sleep problems is instilled.
2. LASTING IMPROVEMENT
With the problem having minimal chances of resurfacing.
The approaches are based on proven behavioral and cognitive approaches used in treating insomnia and with which a lasting sleep improvements were achieved.
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Once behavioral approaches are implemented correctly they remain active and continue delivering their benefits. This is an enormous contrast to other sleep aids such as medical supplements or the usage of external agents. These only work as long as they are available or consumed.
Additionally, methods to block a relapse are introduced, further reducing the chances of sleep problems resurfacing.
3. INDEPENDENCY
AND SELF-RELIANCE
Your body and your mind are the only things you need for good sleep.
The behavioral approaches enable you to be completely unbound to any other sleep controlling agent such as substances, hardware, or software. Why is this relevant? Because regardless where you wind up or what your socio-economical status is or will be in your life in the future, your body and your mind will never be taken from you (or in that manner you will always have access to them). However, the accessibility to supplements, equipment, gadgets, etc. is not guaranteed. So why rely on them for something as important and fundamental as sleep?
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On the other hand - isn't it better, if you know that the quality of your sleep is completely in your own control?
4. NO SIDE EFFECTS
In contrast to pharmaceutical treatments.
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5. NON-ADDICTIVE
In contrast to pharmaceutical treatments.
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6. NON-DEPENDENT
High-Quality Sleep is not conditioned by an access to sleep aids.
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DISADVANTAGES
1. LONGER FEEDBACK LOOPS
Do not expect a one-pill-fix-everything-now approach.
Observation of results happens on a medium-term basis. In practice, the entire loop – self-observation & assessment, testing of a new approach, self-observation & assessment, evaluation, and next steps – can take from a few nights to up to a few weeks. The reason is that sleep can be influenced by many factors and finding the correct key that will deliver drastic shifts can take a few trials.
The observation loop is further distorted through peculiarities of daily life and stressors which can have various effects on our lives & on our sleep. In order to avoid having such effects distort or influence our interpretation of results, we have to have our observation period longer than a few nights.
2. NOT AUTOMATIC
Requires intentional involvement until routinized
Some of the introduced methods require deliberate conscious monitoring of the main areas until the behavior is fully automated. Said otherwise, it will not be enough for you to only know the method – it has to be consciously put into practice.
3. MULTIFACTORED
One solution does not fit all problems
As there is no one key that would open all doors, there is also no solution that would solve all problems. The source of long-term sleep problems usually resides in several areas and multiple layers.
Once you begin with the treatment you can expect fast improvements only in some cases, but the general progress will be gradual over days and weeks.
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There are several potential reasons:
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It may happen that you start treating an area which is relevant, but not the most important or severe in your case.
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You could have selected the right approach but other factors interfered with the goal-test-measure-improve loop.
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An insider's viewpoint is prohibiting you from correctly prioritizing the area to improve on.
The course covers all the most common problem areas and provides several solutions to address them.
4. INPUT DEPENDENT
The quality, persistency, and diligence of your personal engagement matters.
Approaches and methods work only as well as they are implemented. On one side there is the correct understanding of how to do them, and on the other, it is actually the correctness of implementation and adherence to them.
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There is also a learning curve. So as with any other skill in life – you cannot try it only once and give up if it doesn’t work. Persistence does pay off.
5. REQUIRES CHANGE
Something often not easy, especially in the area of personal habits and beliefs.
Immediately the change requires us to spend increased amounts of energy on mental processes. These efforts allow you to consciously and deliberately stop yourself in the ways how you have been operating so far and give you the possibility to decide on how to do them differently.
In the next instance during change implementation, we are put into a position where we have to execute certain methods that may not be completely aligned with our existing beliefs or opinions. The person usually enters a state of cognitive dissonance and consequently psychological (mental) stress that lasts for the duration until the new method brings desired results and the old beliefs can be replaced with new ones.
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It is exactly the mental part that is the prevalent generator of sleep problems in cases of persons with long-term sleep insomnia. It is the toughest part to change but brings the biggest and most lasting improvements.
So the behavioral approach is also not perfect. But what is the alternative?
Behavioral Treatment vs Sleep Aids
I am neither a chemist, nor a physician, so I will not go into details about existing options, their way of functioning, and their pros and cons. The intention here is for you to take a step back and contemplate the entire concept of using external sleep aids in any form (ie. medications, supplements, gadgets, audio-visual devices, etc.) to induce sleep or wake states.
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Sleep is a natural body rhythm that in the majority of people works automatically and undisturbed. Therefore the first question to pose to oneself is: "Why even consider supplemental treatment if there is a way that I can sleep by myself?"
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It is true, however, that you could challenge me with the reverse question – “Why ‘not’ consider supplemental treatment or even consider 'only' supplemental kind of treatment as the best course of action if it works for me?”. So let us do that right now and take a look at each side of the coin of using medication/supplements in the framework of insomnia treatment.
SUPPORTING ARGUMENTS
for Sleep Aids
1. SIMPLICITY
Once your pharmacist or physician has given you a green light on a specific type of sleep-regulating drug, it is very little you have to do to successfully regulate sleep as the pill will do the work for you. Sure, you must read and follow the instructions but apart from that, there are no other complex tasks required.
2. EASINESS
You only have to take the prescribed amount and ingest it. That is it. No need to invest any other effort into it to function.
3. SPEED
Depending on a few factors, the effects of the drug are usually noticeable quite quickly.
OPPOSING ARGUMENTS
against Sleep Aids
1. ADDRESSING THE REAL CAUSE
If the treatment does cure the cause then you should eventually no longer need to take it. But if it only covers/offsets the consequences (symptoms) then you are not solving the real issue. Even if you find out the best strategy to temporally solve the consequences (symptoms), the source will still be present and the problems will stay dormant and keep resurging without aid. Treating sleep problems is usually exactly such a story – the medicinal treatment covers the symptoms, but does not address or even correct the cause.
2. NEGATIVE FEEDBACK LOOP
You might have noticed this in yourself if you have been a long-term user of any medicine (e.g. stress relievers, painkillers, etc), stimulants (e.g. caffeine), or other substances. It is a natural body response to gradually build tolerance. In due time the effect of the substance on your body is not as strong as it was before and you are eventually forced to start increasing the dosage to achieve the desired effects. This then brings you to the next major problem.
3. DEPENDENCY
With twofold meaning:
First: If such substance would be scarce or even unavailable then the basic problem would eventually resurge.
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Second: numerous sleep-inducing medicinal treatments give the user (as a side effect) the possibility to shut off reality at one’s volition. As a side effect, it often makes the user slightly drowsy and also in a more positive mood due to the reduction of automatic mental thoughts about daily problems. These two combined effects represent a great alternative escape mechanism that represents a good basis for an addiction.
4. TOLERANCE
Long-term usage of any substance leads to an organism’s tolerance. This translates to reduced effectiveness of the agent eventually being ineffective at the times when you truly need it without increases in dosage.
5. SIDE EFFECTS
Almost all drugs have negative side effects. Long-term reliance on drugs increases the chances of such side effects happening.
The bottom line?
Use sleep aids only for emergencies or when everything else fails. In all other cases try to avoid their usage as much as possible as they are not a suitable long-term solution. If you have a specific medical situation, consult your licensed physician before making such a change.
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For long-term solutions check the possibilities below.
What would You like to Improve?
Sleep Coaching is possible for three distinct sleep-related areas - called Modules.
Click below on a module to learn more.