Luckily I don’t suffer from insomnia, but if I did, I think I’d try non-medical interventions first!

On a related note, I’ve noticed several researchers writing about well-being (since the arrival of Pos Psych) talk about a decrease in depression/anxiety/other negative symptoms as if this were the same thing as an increase in well-being. This suggests that for the layperson, the distinction is actually not that important, even if it is everything to Positive Psychologists….Your thoughts?

I also think Acceptance & Commitment Therapy has a lot to offer on the subject of insomnia.

Bridget

Interesting! I wonder if research on positive interventions that appear to diminish depression might be a good place to start when looking for research on this subject?

Your article made me curious about whether Sonja Lyubomirsky mentioned insomnia in her new book on happiness. She does — but all three mentions are in the chapter about depression, including a statement that disturbances in deep dream-related (REM) sleep is a symptom of depression.

Rumination where thoughts go around and around in negative circles often contributes to insomnia — and depression. So perhaps Sonja’s activity 3, Avoiding Overthinking and Social Comparison, might be a good place to start for a friendly suggestion to someone who is really eager for relief. As a non-clinician, I don’t diagnose. But it seems reasonable to suggest things that people can try. No guarantees - but then, there aren’t any guarantees even with medications that have undergone full double-blind clinical trials.

It makes good sense to be wary of proposing positive interventions for interventions that have significant negative side effects. But it is hard to imagine a downside to controlling rumination.

Your thoughts?
Kathryn

The quote from Twain reminds me of this one from RD Laing:
“The range of what we think and do is limited by what we fail to notice. And because we fail to notice that we fail to notice, there is little we can do to change; until we notice how failing to notice shapes our thoughts and deeds.”

Hmmmmmm.

Bridget

I wonder if, and I don’t like this term, mindfulness could also be a positive intervention for insomnia? I am quite surprised that there are few to no articles on mindfulness here on the site.

I can understand skepticism, totally. It is odd that people are skeptical…except about their own inner dialogue, the self-talk/imagery that causes so much strife.
Mark Twain: “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.”

Ain’t that the truth.