Cognitive behavioural techniques to help deal with insomnia

Who is this module suitable for?

The module ‘Sleep well’ is an intervention intended for anyone experiencing sleep-related problems.

What is the content of the module?

The module was developed in close collaboration with an expert panel of practitioners and patients. It consists of an unguided welcome session, five guided sessions and the 'Sleep' diary.

1. Welcome. During the first session, the patient is introduced to online treatment. The advantages of online therapy are displayed in a doodle animation. The patient is also introduced to the ‘Sleep diary’, which they can keep from this session onwards.
2. What’s going on? In this session, the patient reads about sleeping problems. They consider their own situation and the consequences that poor sleep has for them.
3. Your sleeping habits. In this session, the patient reads about sleeping habits and how to improve them. Step-by-step, the patient considers how they can change their sleeping habits to work towards a better night’s rest.
4. Relaxation. In this session, the patient becomes aware of the tension in his or her body by practising with a short mindfulness body scan. After that, the patient practises with a breathing exercise, progressive muscle relaxation and the relaxation response. All relaxation exercises are accompanied with both audio and video guides.
5. Your thoughts. In this session, the patient learns why unhelpful thoughts keep them awake. They then practise with two cognitive techniques: a thought distancing technique and a thought challenging technique.
6. Take a look back. In this final session, the patient considers where they stand and what they'd still like to work on.

The sleep diary

To gain more insight into their sleep patterns, patients are encouraged to keep a sleep diary. By keeping a diary, they can gain a better understanding of what helps them to sleep and what makes sleeping difficult. The diary will be available for the patient as soon as they complete the first session. They can make entries in this diary at any time of day, via the Minddistrict app or online platform.

How do you use the module?

‘Sleep well’ can be used as either a complimentary module in addition to a (treatment) module or as a stand-alone module. Most of the sessions are marked as guided, which means the practitioner provides online feedback after each session. However, as a practitioner you can choose to offer one, more or all sessions without guidance. This allows the patient to work through the module independently. The module is flexible in use: you can tailor it to your patient’s individual needs.

The module can be used alongside face-to-face sessions as a way of continuing treatment outside of the therapy room. The answers patients give to the online exercises will enable you to prepare more specifically for future face-to-face sessions.

Self-help version

A self-help version of 'Sleep well' is also available for clients. In this version, there are no feedback moments.