Dr. Guy Leschziner, a sleep physician, discusses the impact of smartphones on our sleep and the rise of insomnia. He introduces cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia as a non-drug treatment. Yuri Maricich aims to fill the gap in treatment with a mobile phone app for insomnia.
Late-night screen time affects sleep quality, leading to insomnia.
Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia offers a non-drug treatment solution.
Deep dives
Impact of Technology on Sleep Habits
The podcast discusses the detrimental effects of late-night screen time on sleep, attributing the high prevalence of insomnia to the constant distraction provided by modern technology. It stresses how activities like scrolling through social media or engaging in mentally alerting tasks in bed can disrupt sleep patterns. Furthermore, concerns regarding blue light exposure from devices and the association between wakefulness and bedtime activities are highlighted as factors affecting sleep quality.
Innovative Sleep Solutions
A variety of high-tech solutions targeting sleep issues are explored, such as adjustable beds that reduce tossing and turning, sleep tracking apps that analyze sleep patterns, and sleep robots providing a calming effect through simulated breathing rhythms. The podcast also mentions the availability of apps offering cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, aiming to strengthen the relationship between bed and sleep by adjusting individuals' sleep windows and promoting positive sleep-related behaviors.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia
The podcast delves into the concept of CBTI as a non-drug-based approach to treating insomnia. It emphasizes the role of sleep restriction in reinforcing the association between bed and sleep, contrary to the common practice of spending more time in bed. By addressing hyperarousal and implementing positive behaviors, CBTI aims to alleviate sleep disturbances. The discussion includes the development of an upcoming app that utilizes CBTI principles to provide personalized sleep recommendations and support for individuals struggling with insomnia.
Modern tech is accused of interfering with our sleep, keeping us up late anxiously staring at our phone screens. But could a phone app provide the cure?
Roughly one in three people in most developed countries typically tell surveys that the suffer from insomnia. The BBC's Laurence Knight is one of them. He seeks the advice of sleep physician Dr Guy Leschziner of Guy's Hospital in London, who explains how sleep and anxiety can become a vicious circle.
The good news is that there is a new non-drug treatment that is proving remarkably successful - cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia. The bad news is that there are nowhere near enough trained clinicians able to provide treatment. That provides a gap in the market - and one that Yuri Maricich of US medical tech firm Pear Therapeutics hopes to fill with a mobile phone app of all things.
(Picture: Cell phone addict man awake at night in bed using smartphone; Credit: OcusFocus/Getty Images)
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