The other day at about 2:15 in the afternoon, my twenty-year-old client’s head was drooping lower and lower to the table. He yawned and apologized, saying “I’m just so tired.” Our session turned to the importance of getting enough sleep and problem solving how to do that.
At that particular moment, I was feeling overly empathetic with my client. You see, I too was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to take a nap. A few days earlier I’d returned from a trip to Europe and my sleep patterns were still a mess, unable to readjust to this time zone. My executive functioning skills were a wreck.
In my fog of sleepiness (and grumpiness touched with anxiety due to a complete lack of my typically optimistic mindset) I shook myself awake to read an article by Drs. Oz and Roizen, which addressed the connection between adequate sleep and a person’s happiness.
Did you know that a person with chronic insomnia is five times more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety? They reported that 50 to 70 million Americans suffer from chronic but treatable sleep disorders.
Apparently cognitive behavioral therapy can be very effective and they recommended GO! To Sleep App, which is described on the Cleveland Clinic Website. It is an app, to use at home, for six weeks and it is smart phone-accessible.
I haven’t tried it yet, but since I finally slept through the night and woke up at an appropriate hour this morning I’m just glad to have a new resource should I or my clients need it in the future.
useful information. It’s really good