One of the most common complaints I hear at the start of any kind of therapy or coaching is difficulty sleeping.
Believe it or not, only one or two sessions can fix this problem in some cases.
Here’s why:
1) One reason that people can’t sleep is that they are feeling confused – so the brain stays awake trying to problem solve and process emotions related to a particular problem (or problems). When a patient has clarity instead of confusion, with a plan of action and someone to help guide them with their plan, then ta-da the sleep improves. Make sense?
2) A second reason for sleep problems is one or more traumatic episodes that are unresolved. In this situation, I almost always use a treatment called EMDR therapy because it almost always works! I recently did an EMDR session with a client who had not been able to sleep for several months following a very traumatic incident. She literally was barely surviving on only a couple of hours of sleep per day. After one EMDR session, she said she went home and slept for 8 hours! One more session later, she reported she is regularly sleeping 6-7 hours per night now.
3) Depression is another reason for sleep concerns, and research shows that only 3-5 sessions of psychotherapy will usually reduce depression symptoms including insomnia. It may seem like, “How could a few hours of talking to someone really reduce my depression?” Well, in many cases depression partially stems from feelings of helplessness. When you “seek help” and “receive help” in the form of getting support, guidance, and talking about all that stuff circling around up in your head with another human being – it can reduce some of the feelings of helplessness and thereby diminish depression.
4) Relationship problems are another primary reason that people complain about sleep problems, especially conflict. But what if conflict is repaired and resolved? Well, that is another way that a few sessions of therapy can improve sleep.
When I can’t sleep, it is always a sign to me that I have to make a change in my life. I either make a decision by the end of my sleepless night about what I need to change and take action the next day. Taking action stops the helpless feeling…. Or, if I am not able to make a decision or figure out what to do then I seek a mentor, friend, or professional to get guidance from as soon as possible. I am not saying this works for everyone, but in most cases this is a recipe for sleep the next night!
Do you need better sleep? We are here to help. You can schedule an appointment with one or our Relationship Repair Associate anytime at Online Scheduling Link
