Open AccessBehavioral interventions for insomnia: Theory and practice
Author(s) -
Mohit Sharma,
Chittaranjan Andrade
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
indian journal of psychiatry/indian journal of psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.485
H-Index - 34
eISSN - 1998-3794
pISSN - 0019-5545
DOI - 10.4103/0019-5545.104825
Subject(s) - insomnia , sleep hygiene , cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia , psychological intervention , cognitive behavioral therapy , medicine , psychiatry , hypnotic , cognitive therapy , psychology , clinical psychology , relaxation therapy , population , psychotherapist , cognition , anxiety , sleep quality , environmental health
Insomnia is a general clinical term that refers to a difficulty in initiating or maintaining sleep. Insomnia is widely prevalent in the general population, especially in the elderly and in those with medical and psychiatric disorders. Hypnotic drug treatments of insomnia are effective but are associated with potential disadvantages. This article presents an overview of behavioral interventions for insomnia. Behavioral interventions for insomnia include relaxation training, stimulus control therapy, sleep restriction therapy, sleep hygiene, paradoxical intention therapy, cognitive restructuring, and other approaches. These are briefly explained. Research indicates that behavioral interventions are efficacious, effective, and likely cost-effective treatments for insomnia that yield reliable, robust, and long-term benefits in adults of all ages. Detailed guidance is provided for the practical management of patients with insomnia.