Why is sleep important?

Studies show that 80% of individuals with a mental health diagnosis also have underlying sleep disturbance.1 Adequate sleep is essential to mental and emotional regulation. During sleep, the brain creates new pathways, processes information, and regenerates the brain and body. Research has linked inadequate sleep to a myriad of issues, including: depression, anxiety, PTSD symptoms, post-partum depression, ADHD, learning disabilities, obesity, emotional dysregulation, health complications and more.

Surveys conducted by the National Sleep Foundation found that at least 40 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders and 60 percent of adults report having sleep problems a few nights a week or more. According to the APA, “In clinical settings, cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) has a 70-80 percent success rate for helping those who suffer from chronic insomnia. Almost one third of people with insomnia achieve normal sleep and most reduce their symptoms by 50 percent and sleep an extra 45-60 minutes a night.”2

As you can see, emphasizing sleep goes hand in hand with the aims of therapy. By adding a separate sleep consultation, clients will maximize the benefit of therapy and, if compliant, will see great strides in emotional regulation, overall health and well-being. Having a session with a separate sleep consultant adds emphasis to the importance of sleep and increases the likelihood of compliance, since it’s not just one of many interventions suggested by the primary therapist. Additionally, the primary therapist can maintain focus on the emotional issues for which the client originally sought therapy without being sidetracked or juggling multiple goals.