Relaxation techniques may not help your insomnia

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-01-18 03:00

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In a large review of previous studies on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) practices for counteracting insomnia, international researchers say relaxation procedures may actually be counterproductive to your sleep. They found the most beneficial therapies to be cognitive restructuring: replacing stress inducing thoughts with calmer options, sleep restriction: keeping to a specific sleep schedule, stimulus control: reducing bad bed-time habits, third-wave components: focusing on mindfulness, emotions, acceptance, relationships, values, goals, and meta‐cognition, and in-person therapy.