MBT: MINDFULNESS-BASED THERAPY
MINDFULNESS-BASED THERAPY (MBT) IS A NEW ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT TO COGNITIVE-BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY FOR INSOMNIA (CBT-I)
Tested by science, it has equivalent effects to CBT-I and may be more suitable for those with certain types of insomnia.
MBT is a structured program designed to help you pay attention to your relationship to sleep, and step out of automatic habits that may be perpetuating the cycle of insomnia.
In this therapy, you will learn mindfulness practices and attitudes, and use these skills to help you break your sleep-disrupting habits and transform your relationship to sleep.
CORE COMPONENTS
MINDFULNESS PRACTICES
Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to and fully accepting the experiences of the present moment. While its precepts originate from ancient Buddhist ideas, the practice of mindfulness has been secularized and introduced into Western medicine, and its benefits have been established in psychological treatments.
In this therapy, our trained instructors will guide you in formal mindfulness practices. As you develop these skills, you will learn how to be aware of sensations of sleepiness and wakefulness, how to work with sleeplessness at night, and how to let go of racing and anxious thoughts that are keeping you awake.
LEARNING MINDFUL ATTITUDES
While practicing mindfulness, we will teach you certain key attitudes such as “beginner’s mind” (not having preconceived expectations), patience, gratitude, and letting go. These attitudes will help you to cultivate a different relationship with unhelpful thoughts and expectations about sleep.
SLEEP RESTRICTION/CONSOLIDATION
People suffering from insomnia often spend extra time in bed to try and “catch up” on the sleep they are losing. Ironically, doing this may perpetuate rather than solve the problem, as well as lead to frustration when sleep does not come easily.
As part of CBT-I, you may work with your therapist to create a more reasonable schedule for being in bed so as to optimize your sleeping time. In the short run, this might involve getting less sleep than you are accustomed to, so it is important to work with a trained professional to make sure you are doing this safely and correctly.