Issues with sleep may be as a result of an undiagnosed medical disorder. It is important that as a certified sleep science coach you are able to recognize the common disorders.  Unless qualified, we do not diagnose or treat these disorders, however.

Insomnia

The most common sleep disorder is insomnia (22). This is described as insufficient sleep due to problems falling asleep, waking up often throughout the night, getting up too early, or feeling tired after waking. Insomnia is more common in women than men and tends to increase with age (22).

Acute insomnia can occur as a result of emotional or physical discomfort, stress, environmental noise, temperature extremes, jet lag or due perhaps to medication side effects (22). Chronic insomnia can happen from a mixture of physical or mental disorders, undiagnosed or uncontrolled sleep disorders and can even be due to taking certain medications.

Treatments

If you suspect or know your client has insomnia, treatment is normally tailored based on personal needs. If it is due to a medication, they may need to see their doctor for more advice. If it is due to any psychological issues, then that must be addressed.  This will include the need to always observe professional coaching boundaries and skills. Some behavioral modification may be needed, like developing better sleeping habits, as outlined in previous sections.

Avoid alcohol as a treatment as it inhibits REM sleep, affects sleep during the early morning hours and is believed to prevent restorative, quality sleep (22). [Read more…]