How to Treat Insomnia Naturally

sleep problem

Have you had multiple sleepless nights? Ever wondered: Can insomnia kill you? Even if you finally manage to fall asleep, you may shift from having trouble falling asleep to having trouble staying asleep. Tired but can’t sleep, you might have searched on Google, how to sleep? Why can’t I sleep through the night? How to get to sleep when you can’t? In order to answer these questions, you want to understand this first, what are the causes of insomnia?  

Causes of Insomnia

Insomnia may be either the primary problem or associated with other conditions. Main causes of insomnia usually include the following reasons.

1. Stress

First of all, stress is inevitably a big reason of sleep difficulty. You might’ve had a fight with your partner, an interview the following day, some health problems, or loss of a loved one, stress may stimulate your brain activities and therefore keep you awake at night. 

2. Smart phone or video games

From time to time, we all have certain habits that disturb sleep. You may find it fun to use your smart phone or other electronic devices in bed. However, scrolling down your social media only stimulates your brain and keeps your awake at night. Similarly, other habits such as playing video games, watching TV in bed, or eating too much late at night may all cause insomnia.

3. Jet lag or shift change

Ever wonder why you can’t sleep when you travel to Asia? Yes, jet lag. That is, irregular sleep schedule may interrupt your body clock and consequently cause insomnia. Besides jet lag, if you take a 3-hour nap at daytime, or change shift often at work may all cause difficulty falling asleep.

4. Coffee and other stimulants

Apparently when you drink coffee, tea, and other caffeinated drinks in the late afternoon, you may not fall asleep at night. In other words, use of stimulants may hamper your sleep. Smoking cigarettes may also interfere with sleep because nicotine is another stimulant. Alcohol may help you fall asleep, but it often brings you shallow sleep and causes broken sleep, or awakening in the middle of the night.

5. Mental distress

People who are struggling with mental distress are more susceptible to insomnia. For example, anxiety disorders, such as post traumatic stress disorder, may be closely related to sleep disturbance. Significant sleep difficulty is also associated with depression.

6. Health conditions and medications

Some medical conditions are associated with insomnia, such as sleep apnea, chronic pain, cancer, heart disease, asthma, diabetes, and Parkinson’s disease. Certain medications including antidepressants and medications for asthma or blood pressure may also link with insomnia.

Psychological Effects of Insomnia

Insomnia can have negative effects on many parts of our body and brain, causing issues in psychological and physical health. When you suffer from poor sleep on a daily basis, it can have a detrimental impact on quality of life. Insomnia undermines your capacity to stay alert; that is, it could affect your thinking, knowing, remembering, judging, and problem-solving. Worst of all, it increases the potential of a variety of mental and emotional disturbances, inducing such conditions as mood issues, memory difficulty, fatigue, difficulty paying attention, and aggressiveness.

What could happen when you internalize the belief “I can’t sleep well”? The answer is obvious: it often produces a strong sense of hopelessness. Sadly, it might be the very beginning of depression. Overall, the most common psychological condition linked with insomnia is anxiety disorders, followed by mood disorders and substance abuse. Insomnia may also be associated with increased risk of suicidal ideation.

How to Treat Insomnia Naturally Without Medication

Can insomnia be treated? The answer is yes. How to fall asleep fast? How to sleep better? What are the strategies and treatments for insomnia in adults and youngsters?  Here are some sleeping problems solutions.

  1. Good sleep hygiene practices

Sleep hygiene is the practices applied to enhance sleep quality, typically including sleep routine, sleep environment, and daytime activities. A bedtime routine is a set of predictable activities associated with good night sleep. One of the most common sleep hygiene practices is to make sure to go to bed and wake up consistently on the same schedule. Other normal sleep-induced conditions like darkness and a quiet environment are generally considered good sleep stimuli.

For example, using your bed only for sleep (except for sex) or going to bed only when you feel sleepy can help establish the desired connections between your bed and the activity of sleeping. Other good sleep hygiene practices include minimized electronic device usage, limit naps,  avoid caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine use.  

  1. Relaxation and mindfulness sleep exercise

Relaxation and mindfulness meditation practice has been introduced into insomnia treatments as an alternative approach in recent years. When we focus our attention on both the internal experiences of thoughts and feelings and external experiences that take place here and now, with no judgment or criticism, we are, indeed, practicing relaxation and mindfulness for sleep.

Relaxation is, in other words, mindfulness to the body and relief of physical pressure. Have you ever paid attention to your muscles and breath when you struggle to sleep? If you have, did you notice how inflexible your muscles became? Our body is born flexible, yet it gradually grows stiff because of the accumulation of negative emotional energies and stress. Things to do when you can’t sleep could include learning how to adjust our breath to where it is most needed for rigid muscle to relax is a useful practice for insomnia.

  1. Improve Stress Management

When you are stressed out, the simple act of falling or staying asleep may not be so simple. Luckily, we can always learn to lock the stress out of the bedroom door before we go to bed. For one, avoiding intense physical and mental activities before your routine sleep schedule, for example, thinking about the daytime worries before you go to sleep, can be detrimental to both your sleep quality and sleep duration. 

Instead of letting worries invade your sleep mind, you can practice making notes of our concerns, fears, and problems at least hours before going to bed, and ‘seal’ them on paper for the next morning to come up with solutions when you wake up. In so doing, you sort out and prioritize the problems that cause your stress. More importantly, it can be employed as a method to monitor the causes of everyday stress, so that we can develop better ways to manage them.

  1. Use cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia

In terms of psychotherapy,  cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia has long been proven to be as effective as medical treatments. The rationale is that the conscious and subconscious mind can be the biggest enemy when it comes to sleep. That is, our robust cognitive processing ability during the daytime, which plays a beneficial role in planning or critical thinking, turns out to be a disadvantage to sleep. You probably have already experienced your brain’s constant work when you try to sleep, Sure enough, this often generates from anxiety over next-day performance. CBT for insomnia includes techniques that enable patients to exercise greater control over what to think about and when to think about it.

In general, you can train yourself to worry about your worries while not in bed; you can also reorganize your thoughts to reduce the impact of disturbing brain activities. Consult with your sleep psychologist to find out the most suitable options to help you to sleep better.

Dr. June and her team are resources for the therapy  you need to treat your sleep problem and all related stress, anxiety, and depression. Contact us and we will provide our effective insomnia treatment for you to sleep better.

Special thanks to the contribution of our intern Wenqi (Vinky)

7 Common Myths about Therapy

In our clinical practice, we receive many questions from people who are interested in psychotherapy. Sometimes mental health stigma continues to remain a topic that could make seeking psychological help a taboo or an unspoken subject. While the root of the stigma may stem from the history and the traditions of some cultures, many of the fears and anxiety are also derived from common misconceptions about therapy.

Among those common myths about therapy, many prevent people from enjoying the benefits of therapy, others lead to misunderstanding of what therapy is like, whom therapy is for, and how therapy works. Therefore, we will list some myths as well as reveal facts about counseling.

1: Only people with serious issues need therapy.

This is one of the biggest myths about therapy, the stigma is, you have to have serious mental issues to go to therapy and when you do, it automatically labels you as “crazy.”

What is psychotherapy used for? The reasons for going to therapy can range from multitude of issues under different levels of severity, and these issues do not define who you are. Therapy could help people struggling with anxiety, depression, OCD, PTSD, ADHD, etc. Therapy can also provide a safe and supportive place for people to talk about grief, adjustment, employment, trauma, or any change in life that cause distress. Many people seek therapy to learn communication to better manage their relationships in individual, couples, or family therapy.

One of the main goals of therapy is self-improvement, whether it is learning to cope with stress, working on self-esteem, or addressing core beliefs. Therapists are here to assist you with your goals and help you thrive as an individual.

2. Therapy is for the weak.

psychotherapy is for the strongThis is another big myth about therapy, the misconception that you are not strong enough to handle and manage the issues yourself, or by going to therapy, you are somehow giving up or giving in.

This is not true. In fact, by seeking help, it means you are recognizing the need and taking action. That takes great courage, strength, and self-awareness. A common question people may ask is, who goes to therapy? A 2018 study showed that 4 in 10 (42%) of U.S. adults have seen a counselor at some point in their lives while 36% are open to it. 

3. Therapy is a waste of time.

Does therapy help? This is a question many people ask before they decide to seek therapy. The effectiveness of psychotherapy is similar to that of other medical professionals. If you went to a crappy dentist, would you assume that going to all dentists was a waste of time? Apparently not. You’d simply find a better dentist! Why don’t you approach therapy with the same expectations?

While some people may have mental health stigma, those who sought therapy view their experiences positively. A study reported that 82% of people who received psychotherapy treatment say they believe it was helpful to some degree. In fact, research consistently showed that psychotherapy can not only reduce stress and anxiety but also physically change the brain.

4. Seeing a therapist is like talking to a paid friend. I can fix my problems on my own.

It is very important to have a good support system. Being able to bond with and confide in the people around us is crucial for our mental well-being.

However, a therapist is different from a friend. A therapist is a trained professional that provides guidance to help you gain insight about your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. The role of the therapist is unbiased, which means that the therapist can offer fresh and different perspectives that may not be offered by your friends. Most importantly, the relationship is non-reciprocal, meaning that the devotion of the sessions will be focused on you. The beauty of having the therapist as a “professional stranger” rather than a “personal friend” is that you do not have to censor yourself or contain your true feelings.

A good therapist does not only listen to you, but also look for patterns of how your mind works. A therapist would help you to gain insight of your issues, learn skills, and build tools to manage your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Therapy is effective in helping you to change.

5. Therapy is too expensive.

therapy is self investmentSome people believe therapy is a glamorous hobby of the rich, who pay professionals to listen to their problems. Let’s face it, seeing a therapist is not inexpensive; however there is actually a wide range of services that can meet your needs!

Many people ask, “Does insurance cover therapy?” Depending on your insurance, therapy can be affordable for low-cost copay or coinsurance. Additionally, therapists are often very understanding and can offer sliding scale fee for therapy based on your situation and income. Talk to your therapist (or therapists if you are shopping for one) about this.

6. All therapy/therapists are the same.

Similar to snowflakes, there are no two therapists/therapy styles that are the same. As mentioned previously, there are different approaches to therapy, whether that is in treatment length (short-term vs. long term) or theoretical orientations (i.e., CBT, DBT, psychodynamic, etc.). The overall purpose is to help you to meet your goals and guide you to improve your well-being. Since everyone’s experience is different, that means the techniques used in therapy and the approaches each clinician utilizes can vary.

It is natural for a person to feel hesitant entering the therapy process. In fact, I challenge you to feel and recognize those hesitancy emotions. Once you do, review with yourself reasons why you seek therapy and the benefits of therapy it will bring to your mental health. Therapy can definitely be challenging and vulnerable, but simultaneously, it can also be incredibly rewarding.

7. Once you start therapy, it never ends.

The misconception that you have to be in therapy forever could be very misleading. Some people are afraid that they may have to depend on a therapist for the rest of their life. In fact, therapy mostly adopts brief or short-term treatment methods. Your therapist hopes that you can learn to use skills and become your own therapist. Your therapist would usually ask about your therapy goals, and then assist you to learn skills to achieve them. When your goals are met, you can terminate therapy unless you want to work on other goals.

Our therapists use evidence-based therapy approaches to help you to make progress in a short period of time. If you are thinking of seeking a therapist or interested in learning more about how therapy works, you can give us a call at (347) 542-8226 for a free phone consultation or contact us.

AUTHOR: Lin (Sally) Chen, MA, MHC-LP

Being Called A Control Freak? How To Deal With Control Issue?

During this pandemic, the time of uncertainty, stress is accumulating so quickly that sometimes you get anxiety or even panic. To cope with the current stressors, it is important to reflect on how and what you pay attention to every day. If anything is certain in life, it is the fact that things will happen beyond your control; however, some people may be often labelled as “control freak”, those who focus on and try to change things that they cannot control. Consequently, some may ask the questions such as “Do I have control issues?” “How to deal with a control freak?” or ” How to stop being a control freak?” 

Different Types of Control Issues

You may attempt to control yourself, others, and environment. Typically when you try to exert excessive power over yourself and the environment, different mental health issues could develop, for example, eating disorders,  obsessive thinking and compulsive behaviors in cleaning and exercising, and self-harm behaviors.

When you attempt to control others in a relationship, at home, or at work, it could manifest in signs of gaslighting, stalking, micromanagement, bullying or abusive behaviors, manipulation, chronic lying, and overprotective or helicopter parents.

In fact, individuals with control issues could be associated with stress, anxiety in various forms such as OCD, depression, addiction, and other mental health struggles.

It can be instinctual to focus your thoughts and attention on things that you cannot control. But it is not always helpful and it does not change the outcome. Instead, you can consider making  minor changes to get you out of this endless cycle.

Differentiate Between What You Can Control and What You Cannot.

List on paper what you can and what you cannot control, remind yourself often when you need a reality check to reduce frustration and anxiety. Here are some examples of “can” and “cannot” control:

  • You can control your input, but you cannot control the outcome of our efforts; 
  • You can control how to manage your time, but you cannot control the passage of time;
  • You can control how you look at yourself, but you cannot control what other people think of us;
  • You can control what you try to do, but you cannot control what other people do;
  • You can control your perceptions of what happens, but you cannot control what happens around us.

Identify Sources of Control Issues

In order to address control issues, it is important to identify the nature and sources of the need to control. It may be commonly related to need for self-protection, unresolved childhood issues, underlying anxiety, fear of abandonment, trauma, emotional sensitivity, low self-esteem, and perfectionism. Recognizing such sources could help you to improve awareness of the issue and focus on more acceptance of self, others, and the world.

Shift Attention to What You Can Control

By shifting your attention to the aspects that you can control, it means to change your attitudes, thoughts, or perspectives. For example, you can use mindfulness to manage your anxious thoughts and feelings, learn CBT techniques such as thought records to stop and reframe negative thoughts, practice ACT to make peace with some obsessive thoughts. Therefore, all of these techniques can become what you learn to change your perspectives and improve your mental health.

Let Go of Your Control 

Letting go of controlling behaviors requires acceptance, that is, allowing yourself to accept the negative feelings without judgment, making helpful adjustments to the present moment, and regain that sense of peace and calmness. By developing this practice, you learn to let go and refocus our energy on things you can change.

Truth be told, it is absolutely okay that you can’t control every aspect of your life. As a matter of fact, who can really predict the future? such as the exact circumstances, outcomes,  what situations would make you eventually happy? Besides, when you fixate on trying to create a certain outcome, it is very likely that you get narrow-minded and totally closed off to other opportunities.  

Beauty of Letting Go

Actually the beauty in letting go your control lies in more creative ideas and innovative solutions. During a flash of creative insight, your brain switches into a distinctive mode in which you allow your subconscious mind to go to work. In other words, this subconscious mind can help you to process vast amounts of information more efficiently. Hence, the Aha moments could be more likely to come.

There is suffering, and then there is thriving. Life is full of struggles and hardships, but by letting go, it could let us live a more meaningful life.  May we find the strength to re-experience the world.

Contact us to start your healing journey to let go your control. Our therapists in New York will assist you to get the insight and practice skills to manage your anxiety and still find your power to live a meaningful life.

Therapy for Toxic Relationship

A good relationship makes you feel secure, happy, cared for, respected, and free to be yourself; on the contrary, a toxic relationship make you feel drained, depleted, and sometimes even distraught. Then how do you know your relationship is toxic? There are many warning signs indicating you might have entered a toxic relationship. 

Hostile atmosphere that makes you feel drained or on edge constantly

Constant judgment, criticism, dismiss or downplay your success that makes you feel worthless or never good enough

Control and manipulation that set you on edge, anxious and confused

Your partner may have too high a standard that makes you feel inferior

Lack of trust that you are forced to constantly prove yourself

Lack of communication and cold wars are usual conflict resolution

Filled with negative energy that avoidance has become the norm

Full of entitlement and lack of gratitude 

Never-ending drama that makes you feel in a roller coaster

Your partner never apologizes or never admits s/he could be wrong.

If you know you are in a toxic relationship and want to make a change, seek therapy from Dr. June to build a good relationship that you deserve.