Getting a Good Night’s Sleep
My husband Rob sometimes has difficulty sleeping. He tosses and turns, unable to shut off his brain. Eventually he gets up and reads for a while. But even after reading, he can’t sleep. He starts to feel nauseous and head-achy, too tired to sleep. In the morning, he’s exhausted. I know just how he feels. We’ve all had that experience.
I was therefore excited to learn about the Bootzin technique when I was at a conference a few years ago.
The Bootzin technique is the most effective method of treating sleep problems (Bootzin & Rider, 1997).
One of the steps is to get up at the same time every day, regardless of how much you slept the night before. Because Rob wasn’t sleeping well, it was initially difficult to force himself to get up at the same time on the weekends. He recruited my aid, and I would ruthlessly force him out of bed. After a couple of weeks of applying the six steps, Rob was able to fall asleep quickly, sleep through the night, and wake up refreshed.
What happens when we get enough sleep and what happens when we don’t? Personally, I feel better when I get enough sleep. I’m more productive and creative, and I’m better at problem-solving. I am happier, more energetic, and less stressed. When I don’t get enough sleep, I have difficulty understanding conversations, the hallways wobble alarmingly when I walk, and I crave high-energy food. I feel terrible. I am therefore fascinated with why these effects occur. This TED talk explains how sleep works and what it does, the benefits of sleep and the consequences of sleep loss.
References
Bootzin, R. R., & Rider, S. P. (1997). Behavioral techniques and biofeedback for insomnia. In M. R. Pressman & W. C. Orr (Eds.), Understanding sleep: The evaluation and treatment of sleep disorders, pp. 315-228. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Kimberly A. Barchard is the Director of the Interactive Measurement Group. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at UNLV. She joined UNLV in 2001 after obtaining her MA and PhD in Psychometrics. She works to empower students and colleagues to accomplish their personal and professional goals, particularly through the development of leadership, communication, and research skills.