Lack of sleep certainly can make you grumpy or lethargic. Did you know that ongoing insomnia or lack of sleep has a negative impact on many aspects of your mental health? Sleep serves a restorative and homeostatic function, as well as a thermoregulation and energy conservation function. Insomnia is often dismissed as ‘normal’ by many people, but it’s not. Research shows that sleep is absolutely imperative for our well-being, and that most people need 7-9 hours of consecutive sleep per night.
Insomnia and sleep issues have become somewhat normalized in our fast-paced society, but chronic sleep deficits are a serious physical and mental health concern. Adequate amounts of high-quality sleep are essential to feeling and performing our best, and persistent poor sleep can even damage our long-term health. At Union Square Practice, we treat sleep concerns with a careful blend of therapy, lifestyle modifications, and sometimes medication. Expert, holistic insomnia treatment is available in person at our Manhattan offices and via telehealth across New York State.
At Union Square Practice, we know that sleep is one of the foundations of feeling good. We will evaluate you and then recommend treatment.
Insomnia is characterized by difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep, and/or experiencing non-restorative sleep, leading to daytime impairments in functioning. Insomnia can be acute or chronic, with causes that range from straightforward to complex.
Most adults require 7-9 consecutive hours of good quality sleep per night in order to feel and perform their best. Busy people can feel that sleeping this much wastes valuable time, but dropping below a healthy sleep threshold decreases not only what you can accomplish during the day, but your mental well-being and physical health.
Many factors can contribute to insomnia, and there is often an interconnected set of issues to address in treatment. These might include:
Insomnia often operates in a vicious cycle as causes and consequences intersect and reinforce each other. An experienced professional can help you break this cycle by systematically identifying and addressing thoughts, attitudes, habits, environmental factors, and deeper underlying causes that are contributing to your sleep issues.
Most of us are familiar with the immediate results of not getting a good night’s sleep. Side effects vary from person to person, but common ones include:
Over time these effects can become the new normal, and a person suffering chronic insomnia may say they don’t remember what it’s even like to get a good night’s sleep.
Sleep isn’t just a period of rest—it’s a physiological process vital to regulating your physical and mental health. The human body needs sleep for essential physical functions including cellular restoration, homeostasis, thermoregulation, and energy conservation. Persistent insomnia diminishes these key maintenance processes on a regular basis. This increases the risk of mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety and can lead to myriad physical health issues including a weakened immune system, cardiovascular problems, increased risk of accidents and injuries, and cognitive impairment in concentration and memory.
Because insomnia often has multiple contributing factors, treatment typically needs to be multi-faceted. Your sleep therapist will evaluate your situation thoroughly and customize your treatment plan to target key issues. We’ve had success helping clients get a good night’s rest through a combination of approaches:
Don’t let too little sleep or non-restorative sleep interfere with your daily happiness and productivity. Our compassionate and experienced team is ready to help you find real solutions to your sleep difficulties. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and take the first step towards a better night’s sleep.
Reach out to us using any of the contacts below or our general contact form.
