Insomnia Light Therapy

If you are working with your primary care doctor or a sleep specialist for insomnia you can ask if this is an appropriate treatment for you.

Insomnia light therapy.

Using a light therapy box may also help with other types of depression sleep disorders and other conditions. Light therapy might be indicated if you have tried other forms of treatment or if your doctor thinks your particular insomnia symptoms call for this mode of therapy. The internal clock in people with insomnia is often off which causes them to struggle when it comes to sleep. Insomnia as we ve learned is not an illness unto itself but a set of symptoms usually secondary to other maladies including poor sleep hygiene medical conditions medications and social and psychological problems like depression and anxiety disorders.

A great thing about light therapy is that it can be an effective treatment that doesn t require a prescription an appointment or if you use the sun a co pay. However light therapy shows major signs of improvement in people and for people who struggle with moderate to mild insomnia light therapy can most certainly be the cure. The light from this box mimics outdoor light which is important for regulating your body. Unlike sleeping pills cbt i helps you overcome the underlying causes of your sleep problems.

Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia is a structured program that helps you identify and replace thoughts and behaviors that cause or worsen sleep problems with habits that promote sound sleep. Phototherapy also called light therapy is an effective therapy for people whose insomnia is due to a problem called delayed sleep phase syndrome. In some cases light therapy can be helpful for people with insomnia. If you are struggling to sleep well at night especially with insomnia or a circadian rhythm disorder try regularly exposing yourself to morning sunlight.

Insomnia can be treated in a growing number of ways pharmacologic and non pharmacologic including light therapy. Light therapy is thought to affect brain chemicals linked to mood and sleep easing sad symptoms. With an earlier timed circadian rhythm they may be able to fall asleep and wake earlier following a regime of morning light therapy. Light therapy might be indicated if you have tried other forms of treatment or if your doctor thinks your particular insomnia symptoms call for this mode of therapy.

Bright light administered in the evening has been shown to delay the cir cadian rhythm. In light therapy you sit near a special light box for a certain amount of time each day. If you have streetlights billboards neon signs or traffic lights beaming bright light into your bedroom at night consider getting heavier drapes or window shades. Onset insomnia who are having difficulty falling asleep until quite late e g.