Practicing mindfulness can target arousal by targeting secondary arousal, which in turn has effects on primary arousal. Specifically, it can lead to increased awareness of one’s mental states in addition to their physical states, which in turn allows for the shift of their response to these symptoms through their mental processes with mindfulness practices. 

How Can Mindfulness Target Arousal in Insomnia?

Common symptoms of hyper-arousal in insomnia are high levels of arousal that interfere with non-restorative sleep, sleep maintenance problems, and sleep initiation issues.

University of Georgia

Syracuse University

 Mindfulness-based therapies combines the use of mindfulness principles and practices with behavioral strategies for insomnia. Mindfulness-based therapies can provide an alternative treatment to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) by addressing hyper-arousal symptoms of insomnia. With the development of a conscious awareness through mindfulness meditation, there is a reduction in cognitive and physiological hyper-arousal, which targets chronic insomnia.

Mindfulness and Behavior Therapy for Insomnia

The metacognitive model of insomnia posits that the hyperarousal experienced during insomnia can be split into two areas. The first area is primary arousal, which includes the cognitive activities related to ones inability to fall asleep. The second area is secondary arousal, which refers to one’s relationship with their thoughts about sleep. 

Metacognitve Model of Insomnia

- Trouble falling asleep
- Difficulty staying asleep
- Waking up too early
- Poor quality of sleep overall

Symptoms of insomnia

https://www.med.upenn.edu/cbti/assets/user-content/documents/PPSMChapter6.pdf

Etiology and Pathophysiology of Insomnia

Hyper-arousal Symptoms of Insomnia

 The aim of Mindfulness-Based Therapy for Insomnia (MBTI) was to evaluate and investigate if MBTI could be successful in reducing symptoms of insomnia by examining:

- severity of insomnia in the sample


- subjective and objective sleep quality


- problematic sleep-related conditions


- hyper-arousal 


- daytime symptoms at baseline, end-of-treatment, and follow-up stages of MBTI

Purpose of Mindfulness and Behavior Therapy for Insomnia

Based on the provided scenario, identify at least three distinct sleep-related difficulties the individual is experiencing that are characteristic of a common sleep disorder. Explain how each difficulty you identify aligns with the typical presentation of this condition.

Learn Before

Related

Learn After