Modern medicine has come a long way since doctors thought it useful to cover their patients in blood-sucking leeches as a cure for everything from hair loss to haemorrhoids, but anyone who has read the ominous inserts that accompany most prescription medications will know they can do as much harm as good.
This is especially true for people with insomnia, as one can quickly develop a dependence on pills that could ultimately make the problem worse.
With that in mind, we take a look at three approaches to getting a good night’s rest that doesn’t involve popping any pills.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Research suggests that cognitive behavioural therapy might be a very good treatment for insomnia. Not only have studies shown that CBT produces results comparable to or better than those achieved with prescription medications, but also that improvements persist for significant periods following the initial intervention.
Treatment focuses on a range of sleep-related factors and usually comprises between 4 and 12 sessions with a qualified practitioner. Behavioural and cognitive processes are carefully analysed and adapted where necessary. Subjects will be asked to track their sleeping patterns and habits and implement a holistic plan of action to improve the quantity and quality of their sleep. This may include exercising, adjusting one’s diet and sleeping environment, and only using the bedroom for select activities (basically sex and sleep).
An emphasis is also placed on addressing anxieties and stress, which frequently contribute to interrupted or delayed sleep. Coping mechanisms may be reviewed, altered or introduced to assist clients in dealing with these issues. CBT-I (cognitive-behavioural therapy for insomnia) enjoys significant support from the scientific community, with some studies finding it effective in up to 80% of cases.
Aromatherapy
The use of aromas as a form of complementary medicine dates back over 600 years and recent studies into aromatherapy have explored their effect on mood, alertness, stress and sleep. The results have been generally positive. Although not a cure for insomnia, essential oils extracted from flowers, fruits, roots and resins do in fact produce scents conducive to the relaxation of both body and mind.
But how does an aroma affect change in one’s mental states? Is it simply that we respond well to nice smells? Apparently, it’s more complicated than that. Recent studies have indicated that the structure of the oil’s molecules might actually mimic hormones that occur naturally in the body. When the aromas are inhaled, receptor cells in the nose transmit a signal which is in turn received by the limbic system, which triggers the release of neurotransmitters like serotonin in the brain. This can result in a sense of heightened calm or even euphoria.
Essential oils linked with the relief of insomnia include lavender, cumin, sweet orange, mandarin, ylang-ylang, chamomile, sweet basil and valerian, amongst others. Although it’s been found that different people respond differently to specific scents, Lavender is especially well thought of as a sleep aid. It’s also been shown to assist with anxiety, mental alertness and the reduction of aggressive thoughts and behaviours.
Synctuition
Synctuition represents the culmination of a decade of work by the world’s leading neurologists, psychologists, medical experts, musicians and producers.
Our team analyzed the latest research on stress and audio therapy to isolate the sounds that work best to calm the mind. Based on this research, we spent years recording and composing Synctuition’s 60 audio tracks in order to form the absolutely perfect formula of natural and manmade sounds to fight the effects of stress.
The result: We’ve created a groundbreaking and unique new soundwave that acts as an antivirus, cleansing, relaxing and resetting your mind in the midst of the modern world’s noise. We call it the Synctuition Wave and it has to be heard to be believed.
Synctuition is the first and only deep relaxation system that combines binaural beats, gamma waves and 3D audio soundscapes that soothe the mind, relax the body and help the brain to form a habit of relaxation.
