Join the conversation:
- The behavioral sleep medicine email group
- The CBT-I reddit page
Trainings:
- CBT-I seminars through University of Pennsylvania
Relaxation Resources:
It is often most effectice to set a goal to practice the skill of relaxation, I would suggest starting with at least 10 min per day. To best make this happen I would suggest trying a specific time during your day & stick with that for this week (e.g. after you brush your teeth).
Lots of people find the practice easier and more enjoyable by using some guided audio. Here are some suggestions if you would like to give them a try…
- Progressive Muscle Relaxation – (most amount of data in the literature of this being effective for people over time) 30 min exercise, a 20 minute exercise & a 17 minute exercise, 12 minute exercise, 11 minute exercise, another 11 minute exercise & 9 minute exercise
- A guided relaxation sampler of imagery, meditation & progressive muscle relaxation – 8 minute exercise
- Two body & breathe focused guided relaxations (both 12 minutes) Exercise 1 & exercise 2
- A 15 minute wind down relaxation before bed
Finally, here are some sites that have a collection of recordings to test out what you like best…
Mindfulness Practice Resources:
Similar to relaxation practice, it is often most effective to learn the skill of mindfulness via daily practice.
To best make this happen I would suggest finding specific times during your day (maybe during your morning or night routine) and find a specific thing you always do to ‘piggybacky’ this new habit to for this week (e.g. after you brush your teeth). Below are some resources for guided mindfulness exercises to practice with:
Apps:
- Headspace (itunes) (google play)
- The Mindfulness App (itunes) (google play)
- Stop, Breathe & Think (itunes)
- Calm (itunes)
- Simply Being (itunes) (google play)
- Mindfulness Meditation (itunes) (google play)
Guided audio to stream or download (I’d recommend to try a few to see what you like):
- 5 minute guided mindfulness
- 10 minutes
- 10 minutes
- 12 minutes
- and a listing of some more.
Finally, here is a nice 1 minute video of how mindfulness works on the mind. Additionally, if you want to listen to an excellent intro talk about the basics of mindfulness here is a 60 minute talk titled Do You Make Regular Visits to Yourself? and part 2 can be found here.
Handouts:
- Stimulus Control Handout – Training Your Brain for Sleep
- Sleep Restriction Handout – Sleep Prescription
Professional Books:
- Overcoming Insomnia: A Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Approach Therapist Guide (Treatments That Work)
- Insomnia: A Clinical Guide to Assessment and Treatment
- Cognitive Behavioral Treatment of Insomnia: A Session-by-Session Guide
Lay Person Books:
- The Insomnia Workbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Getting the Sleep You Need
- The Insomnia Answer: A Personalized Program for Identifying and Overcoming the Three Types ofInsomnia
- Overcoming Insomnia: A Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Approach Workbook (Treatments That Work)
Other:
- Videos and info on the science of sleep from Harvard’s division of Sleep Medicine