Training Your Body to Get a Good Night's Sleep

Aug. 21, 2005 — -- Large numbers of Americans suffer from insomnia, and many either wake up tired or pop sleeping pills to help combat the problem.

But there may be an alternative solution that, in the long term, actually works better than sleeping pills.

A study out last year showed that cognitive behavioral therapy -- a sort of talk therapy that actually trains your body how to prepare for sleep and stay asleep -- is as effective, or may be more effective than sleeping pills.

Just what is this therapy, and how does it work? Sleep expert Dr. Paul Glovinsky, a clinical psychologist, joined ABC's "Good Morning America Weekend Edition" with tips for sleeping through the night, not the day.

Cognitive Behavior Therapy

Cognitive behavior therapy teaches a patient to recognize and change patterns of thought and behavior that contribute to sleep problems. "It makes people feel like they can do something about their insomnia," Glovinsky said. A lot of people feel helpless tossing and turning, so they turn to a pill, which may or may not work. "This is something people can do themselves to take back their sleep," Glovinsky said. For example, a patient will be told to go to bed at a later time, because getting six hours of sleep out of six-and-a-half hours in bed is more beneficial than that same person getting the same sleep spread out over nine hours in bed.

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Relaxation Therapy

Relaxation therapy focuses on relaxing the muscles, and it teaches people to identify the times of day and night when they're stressed and tight. "Believe it or not, you can really go through the day without realizing how tense you are, so we teach people how to relax," Glovinsky said.

Sleep Hygiene

"Your night of sleep is determined before you get into bed," Glovinsky said. You can't be tense all day, and drink coffee, and then expect to fall into a deep sleep immediately. Work out these issues during the day before you turn the lights out. Basically, prepare yourself in advance for sleep.