Sleep Disorders

Sleep disorders like insomnia are frustrating and often disabling. Medication can help short-term but doesn’t resolve the underlying cause, so experienced sleep specialist Anne Bartolucci, PhD, CBSM, and her team at Atlanta Insomnia and Behavioral Health Services, PC, in Decatur, Georgia, offer an effective alternative. They use techniques like cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) to help you overcome your problems sleeping. Call Atlanta Insomnia and Behavioral Health Services, PC, or request an appointment online today for expert sleep disorder care.

What are sleep disorders?

A sleep disorder restricts your ability to sleep long enough and well enough. You might have a sleep problem if any of the following sound familiar:

• Taking 30 minutes or more to fall asleep
• Waking during the night for more than 30 minutes
• Waking earlier than desired and being unable to get back to sleep
• Snoring so loudly that others complain
• Stopping breathing when asleep
• Waking gasping for air
• Feeling like you’ve hardly slept on waking
• Feeling excessively tired/sleepy during the day
• Falling asleep without intending to during the day
• Hallucinating/dreaming before falling asleep or when waking up

Odd behaviors during sleep, such as walking around, yelling, kicking, or frequent nightmares, also indicate you have a sleep disorder. Some people feel like they can’t move for a few seconds after waking, no matter how much they want to.

What sleep disorders might affect me?

Sleep disorders take various forms, including:

• Insomnia (inability to sleep)
• Hypersomnia (sleeping excessively)
• Restless legs syndrome
• Narcolepsy (falling asleep suddenly during the day)
• Sleep apnea (stopping breathing when asleep)

Sleep disorders can be a symptom of anxiety and/or depression. They also increase the risk of relapse after mental health treatment.

What treatments help with sleep disorders?

Because everyone’s sleep problem is unique, the Atlanta Insomnia and Behavioral Health Services, PC, team begins with a thorough evaluation. They also ask you to keep a sleep diary. Your provider designs a personalized treatment plan and sets goals for each session using the information they gather.

Possible treatments include medication, cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices for obstructive sleep apnea.

Medications work well for some patients. However, you shouldn’t take them for more than two or three nights a week and never on consecutive nights to prevent physical and/or psychological dependence. Another drawback is that medications address your symptoms but don’t resolve the underlying problem. 

How does CBT-I help with insomnia and other sleep disorders?

CBT-I’s benefits for sleep disorders may include:

• Healthier, more restful sleep
• Confidence in your ability to sleep
• Coping skills for difficult nights
• Improved concentration
• Reduced stress

CBT-I is as effective as medication short-term and offers a long-term solution to insomnia. During treatment, your provider delivers guidance, support, and accountability and helps you cut out medication once your sleeping stabilizes.

CBT-I and other sleep therapies can greatly improve how a sleep disorder affects your daily life.

Call Atlanta Insomnia and Behavioral Health Services, PC, to arrange a sleep disorder evaluation or schedule a consultation online today.