Overcoming Insomnia: The Effects of Relaxation Techniques

Stress has often been associated with difficulty falling asleep. “Every night, millions of Americans settle themselves into bed for the sleep they fell they desperately need but they know will not come” (Machlowitz, 1981). They toss and turn in bed, hoping for sleep to overtake them so that they can awaken fresh, not bleary, the following morning. Sleep problems include “difficulty falling asleep, fragmented sleep, and recurrent and frequent nightmares” (Sadeh, Keinan, & Daon, 2004, p. 542). Numerous studies have been done on the causes of insomnia because an estimated 75 million Americans have difficulty falling asleep (Machlowitz, 1981). Possible causes of insomnia include physical, psychological and emotional conditions such as arthritis, urinary incontinence, hyperthyroidism, asthma, allergies, indigestion, bronchitis, breathing difficulties, dementia, depression, anxiety, stress, stimulants, drugs, an underlying sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, jet lag, and circadian rhythm disturbances (Machlowitz, 1981; Jacobs, 1998).

When a person is under stress, his or her coping style for the stress will determine what effect the stress will have on his or her sleep (Sadeh, Keinan, & Daon, 2004). Frequent and intense daytime stressors increase the likelihood of the person experiencing sleep difficulties that night (Jacobs, 1998). Negative thoughts at bedtime can also give one stress and prevent one from sleeping well. A person who copes well with the stressors experienced during the day and prior to bedtime will have less difficulty falling asleep than one who has trouble coping with the stressors.

Sleep in itself is able to reduce the stress one experiences during the course of the day (Sadeh, Keinan, & Daon, 2004). W...

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...if one were to conduct an experiment that involved many subjects, then one may possibly find an intervention and relaxation technique that does help.

Works Cited

Jacobs, G. D. (1998) Say good night to insomnia. New York: Henry Holt and Company.

Lichstein, K. L., Riedel, B. W., Wilson, N. M., Lester, K. W., and Aguillard, R. N. (2001). Relaxation and Sleep Compression for Late-Life Insomnia: A placebo-controlled trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 69(2), 227-239.

Machlowitz, Marilyn. (21 April 1981). As 75 million toss and turn, studies pursue secret of sleep. New York Times (Late Edition (East Coast)), p. C.1.

Mason, L. J. (1985). Guide to stress reduction. Berkeley, CA: Celestial Arts Publication.

Sadeh, A., Keinan, G., and Daon, K. (2004). Effects of stress on sleep: The moderating role of coping style. Health Psychology, 23(5), 542-545.