Everyone suffers from a poor night’s sleep from time to time. These nights typically happen because of stress or an out-of-the-ordinary life event, and resolve themselves without any intervention. But if you’ve experienced difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up too early at least 3 nights per week for 3 months or longer, you may be suffering from chronic insomnia.
People with chronic insomnia often can’t remember the last time they had a good night’s sleep. They may experiment with different supplements and medication, including sleeping pills. While these solutions may help for a short time, they don’t address the root cause of insomnia.
If this sounds like you, know that you are not alone. In fact, 10-15% of adults suffer from chronic insomnia. When you experience chronic insomnia, you are more likely to have issues with fatigue, memory, concentration, energy, and judgement. If left untreated, chronic insomnia can affect your daytime functioning, lowering your ability to be productive and control your mood, while increasing your risk of errors and accidents. Chronic insomnia also significantly increases your risk of developing mental illness, such as depression, anxiety, and substance abuse, as well as other serious chronic issues, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease.
You may feel as though you've tried all the available options to treat your insomnia with only limited success. But have you tried adopting strategies that are clinically-proven to help you obtain high quality sleep on your own? Cognitive-behavioural therapy for insomnia (also known as CBT-I) is clinically-proven to be more effective, safer, and longer lasting than any other insomnia treatment, including prescription sleep medication. Medical advisory boards worldwide, including the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technology in Health (CADTH), the American College of Physicians, and the European Sleep Research Society, recommend that doctors prescribe CBT-I as the primary treatment for chronic insomnia.
HALEO’s approach to CBT-I is convenient and effective. Our registered therapists have specific training and expertise in treating insomnia. They work with clients one-on-one directly through the video-conferencing feature built into our mobile app. Your therapist will help you understand your sleep patterns and will support you as you integrate the clinically-proven strategies of CBT-I into your daily routine.
With HALEO’s insomnia program, you will optimize the biological processes that regulate your sleep. This involves having a constant rise time, restricting your time in bed, and getting out of bed when not sleeping. You will also learn how to manage thoughts that interfere with good sleep and practise ways to relax your body and mind in preparation for sleep. You can expect to start seeing improvements in your sleep in as little as a few weeks. By the end of the program, you will have the knowledge and strategies to maintain good sleep for years to come!
Improving your sleep could be the single most important action you take toward your short- and long-term health goals. If you’re ready to address your chronic insomnia, let us show you how we can help.
Refer HALEO to your employer, or take our screener to join our virtual clinic and discover more about your sleep.
