Sleep therapy aids recovery from depression

(The Boston Globe, November 24, 2013)

Depression is the most common mood disorder, affecting some 18 million American adults in any given year. A new study has found that cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia can be a powerful complementary therapy to antidepressant drugs, as many patients also have sleep problems. Cognitive behavioral Therapy for Insomnia can cure Insomnia in 40 to 50 percent of all cases. It's not a single technique, but a collection of ideas: One is called stimulus control, which involves breaking the association between being in bed and activities like watching television or eating. Another is sleep restriction: setting a regular “sleep window” and sticking to it. However, across the US, only 400 practitioners are certified by the American Board of Sleep Medicine to perform this form of therapy.