A502 Healing Night: Treating Sleep and Dream Disorders

Sleep disorders are endemic in the United States--affecting more than half the population. Not only are sleep disturbances implicated in many serious physical health problems, but most people with psychiatric diagnoses suffer from disturbed sleep. Unfortunately, most sleep problems go untreated. Because the majority of disorders arise from psychological, social, and lifestyle factors, psychotherapists are in an ideal position to fill this critical treatment niche. In this course, the presenter will describe an integrative, mind-body approach to the definition, screening, evaluation, and treatment of major sleep disorders in adults, including insomnia, sleep apnea, and narcolepsy. We'll focus particularly on sleep and dream issues related to depression, as well as to addiction and recovery. Among the treatment strategies covered will be cognitive-behavioral therapy, the therapeutic use of light and darkness, alternative medical substances like melatonin and valerian, sleep-environment management, and the practice of psychospiritual surrender to sleep.

Meet The Instructor

Rubin Naiman, PhD, is clinical assistant professor of medicine and the sleep specialist at the University of Arizona's Program in Integrative Medicine and director of sleep programs for Miraval Resort. He's the author of Healing Night, The Sleep Advisor (software) and, with Dr. Andrew Weil, Healthy Sleep.

Course Contents

Session 1: The sleep disorders epidemic • Sleep, illness, and depression • The cultural context of sleep

Session 2: The nature of sleep and dreams • Life rhythms in sleep and waking • Night, darkness, and melatonin

Session 3: Screening and evaluating sleep symptoms • Measuring sleepiness and fatigue • Polysomnography

Session 4: Sleep psychotherapy for insomnia • Sleeping pills vs. CAM approaches • Sleep in addictions and recovery

Session 5: Adjunct treatment of other sleep disorders • Obstructive sleep apnea • Narcolepsy

Session 6: Sleep, dreams and consciousness • Night and shadow work • The practice of sleep therapy

Learning Objectives

1. Identify biomedical, psychological, and environmental factors contributing to the sleep disorders epidemic.
2. Define basic approaches for screening and evaluating major sleep disorders.
3. Offer basic treatment recommendations for ameliorating insomnia.
4. Discuss essential psychospiritual factors in understanding and addressing sleep and dream issues.

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