Sleep Disorders
What is a Sleep Disorder?
A sleep disorder is a condition that impacts the quality of your sleep. Current research tells us that disordered sleep has a significant impact on health and function.
There are many sleep disorders. These include insomnia (difficulty falling or staying asleep), sleep apnea (abnormal patterns of breathing during sleep), restless leg syndrome (a sleep movement disorder), narcolepsy (falling asleep suddenly during the day), and circadian rhythm sleep disorders (poor synchronization with sleep-wake and light-dark cycles).
Many diagnoses impact upon sleep. For example, PTSD may result in nightmares and disrupt sleep and may result in a fear of sleep, anxiety disorders and/or stress responses may result in racing thoughts that block sleep onset, brain injury may impact sleep cycles, chronic pain may result in wakefulness and difficulty staying asleep, and depression may result in excessive sleep.
How Can Insomnia or a Sleep Disorder Impact my Life?
If you’re on this page, you probably don’t need an explainer on how a sleep problem or insomnia impacts your daily life! Lack of sleep impacts thinking, emotional regulation, reaction time, can result in anxiety or depressive symptoms increasing, increased aches and pains, irritability… it can even cause food or sugar cravings! Beyond that, the suffering and anxiety that is experienced by most people when they are struggling to sleep is its own kind of misery. Dreading night time can ruin your day.
Sleep Disorder’s can be Treated and Have a Good Success Rate!
We can use sleep hygiene, behavioural modifications and counselling to help you improve your sleep. We have two techniques in particular, that have great sleep outcomes. CBT-I and neurofeedback.
CBT-I has a strong evidence base. Up to 70 – 80% of people with insomnia see positive change. This includes less wakefulness, less time to fall asleep, and more time asleep!
In a recent sleep study, a research team at the University of Pretoria found that using ISF neurofeedback (a kind of neurofeedback we use here at Renew),
Research tells us that, for those who are willing to put in the time and effort, sleep can be improved.
What are Symptoms of Sleep Disorders?
Disordered sleep may result in excessive sleepiness during the day, difficulty thinking, safety issue when driving, poor emotional control, physical pain, headaches, and more.
How can Renew Help?
- Cognitive behavioural therapy for sleep/insomnia
- Counselling and Psychotherapy
- Support for lifestyle change
- Neurofeedback therapy