Do you have trouble falling asleep? Are you frequently awake for long periods of time in the middle of the night, or unable to fall back asleep at all? You are not alone.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine reports that “as many as 30-35 percent of adults in the U.S. complain of insomnia.” The CDC defines insomnia as the inability to maintain or initiate sleep. There are several forms of insomnia that plague Americans today. Insomnia can be acute or chronic, and it can impact your ability to fall asleep or your ability to stay asleep throughout the night. Regardless of the presentation, research has shown that sleeping medications are not the only treatment.
The NIH recommends Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBTi) to be the first-line treatment for chronic insomnia. The basic premise around CBTi is to re-train yourself to be a “good sleeper” while teaching your mind to associate the bed with sleep, and only sleep. This behavioral treatment has been shown to be just as beneficial, and in some cases, more effective than sleep medications. If you are in the 30 percent of Americans who believe they are struggling with insomnia, you are likely aware that the inability to sleep is often anxiety-provoking and can lead to complications in all areas of your life. CBTi specifically addresses this anxiety and can be an affordable and lasting treatment modality.
Vanderbilt’s Work/Life Connections–Employee Assistance Program is offering a five-week CBTi workshop that is:
- Free of charge
- Held Tuesdays from 5 to 6 p.m.
- Dates: Sept. 25, Oct. 2, 9 and 23, and Nov. 6
- Light Hall, Room 415
- Open to all Vanderbilt University and Medical Center faculty and staff
Please register by Wednesday, Sept. 12
For more information or to schedule an appointment with one of our clinicians, contact Work/Life Connections–EAP at 615-936-1327.