ACT and cognitive behavioral therapy in sleep disorders
According to Aline Kruit – doctor, ACT therapist and author of the book Sleeping is doing nothing – you should not do more to sleep well, but less. ACT and cognitive behavioral therapy can help with this. What exactly is ACT? And how can these therapies help with sleep disorders? Health net asked her.
Why do you think sleep is actually doing nothing?
“Sleep is a process that you actually have no control over. People who normally sleep well, just lie down and fall asleep. They don’t really have to do anything for that, except of course that you can create the preconditions: have a nice bed , make sure it’s dark, not too much noise around you.
People who suffer from sleeping problems tend to try to fall asleep, or they all need measures to be able to sleep. They are going to do a lot and that actually activates your body. That usually doesn’t help.”
Why is making a mind switch important for a good night’s sleep?
“You can change your attitude about that insomnia. So instead of trying really hard to fall asleep, you accept it a lot more and lie awake quietly. That way you are much closer to sleep.
With this mind switch you go from action to rest. That goes against your human nature to accept it, because you want it so badly. That is our human tendency, but it is precisely when sleeping that it has the opposite effect.”
You are an ACT therapist. What exactly is ACT?
“ACT stands for acceptance and commitment therapy. It is a behavioral therapy in which you learn to let go of control over things you have little influence over and accept them more, for example certain thoughts or feelings.”
How can ACT help with sleep problems?
“Behavioural therapy is the most important therapy for insomnia (difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, ed.). With ACT you change your relationship with your thoughts: you let go of thoughts, which makes you calmer. treat a sleeping problem, such as sleep apnea, but it won’t do you any harm either.”
What role does cognitive behavioral therapy play in this?
“Cognitive behavioral therapy is the therapy that is most used now. This therapy is mainly about changing thoughts about sleep and insomnia. It actually trains sleep more. For example, getting out of bed if you can’t sleep after 20 minutes. Cognitive behavioral therapy doesn’t really want you to associate your bed with lying awake, ACT looks at it differently: just accept that you are awake and stay awake, at least you are much closer to rest and sleep than you are constantly there. goes out.”
How can ACT complement cognitive behavioral therapy?
“ACT has many similarities with cognitive behavioral therapy, such as sleep hygiene: it is mainly about rest, cleanliness and regularity. That you should not drink a lot of alcohol, it is better not to smoke, that you do not sit on your phone until very late, that your structure maintains, there are certainly very good things in that.
They can complement each other very well on that peace, cleanliness and regularity, just not on the interpretation of the night. For example, I don’t think you should challenge thoughts, because we already have about 70,000 thoughts a day, so if we also have to change those substantively, you’re thinking even more.
ACT is actually a kind of follow-up to cognitive behavioral therapy. ACT and cognitive behavioral therapy work equally well for many problems, for example in the treatment of depression or the treatment of anxiety. ACT only works better when sleeping, because it fits much better with how people experience it.”
Do you have any tips for people who sleep badly?
“An important tip is to ensure regularity in your life. If you have trouble sleeping, it is important to lead a regulated life: healthy living, exercise, regular times for meals, for sports, going outside and a little set times to sleep.
Another tip is that you shouldn’t wrestle or fight when you’re awake: just stay awake. And another important tip is not to turn your heart into a murder pit. Research has shown that people who hoard everything, don’t share anything with people, keep everything to themselves, never express their needs well, also sleep worse. So out yourself. Try to live a life worth living during the day: so do the things you love. For example, are you in a very unpleasant work situation? Then that also affects your sleep, or a relationship that is bad. Maybe there are things in your life that you need to change.”
Aline Kruit is a doctor, ACT therapist and author of the book Sleeping is doing nothing. She is affiliated with sleep institute sleepwise: This institute offers sleep courses and individual coaching to people with sleeping problems using the ACT method.
