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Cognitive Behavioral Model Of Insomnia (Harvey, 2002)

Insomnia is a highly prevalent sleep disorder characterized by difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep, or having non-restorative sleep for at least one month. Sleep problems are extremely common in people who suffer from mental health problems and there is increasing evidence that disturbed sleep can be a causal factor for many mental health difficulties. Harvey’s (2002) cognitive model of insomnia suggests that excessive worrying about a lack of sleep triggers autonomic arousal and emotional distress. This increased arousal leads to selective attention towards and increased monitoring of sleep-related threat cues, culminating in a biased perception of the sleep-related deficit. The Cognitive Behavioral Model Of Insomnia can be used to conceptualize your client's insomnia. It's a useful framework for identifying safety behaviors and unhelpful beliefs about sleep or worry, both of which Harvey highlights as key exacerbating factors. This model proposes that cognitive processes contribute to the maintenance of insomnia, irrespective of whether the original cause was psychiatric, circadian, medical, or drug-induced.

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Offers theory, guidance, and prompts for mental health professionals. Downloads are in Fillable PDF format where appropriate.

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  • English (GB)
  • English (US)

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Introduction & Theoretical Background

Insomnia is one of the most prevalent sleep disorders, affecting around 10% of the population. There is a sound evidence base showing that it is an exacerbating factor many in psychological disorders, and it is frequently reported by people struggling with anxiety and depression (although it is not a primary symptom). It has further been established that problems with sleep precede – and may contribute to – the development of depression (Harvey, 2001). Even without knowing the direction of causality, there is a strong relationship between insomnia and psychological disorders. Co-morbidity with other mental health conditions is high, and it is listed as a symptom across a wide range of other sleep, mood, neurological and mental health disorders: “insomnia as a symptom of psychological disorder is 10 times more frequent than insomnia related to a physical illness” (Ford & Kamerow, 1989; Harvey 2001). Chronically poor sleep has a significant

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Therapist Guidance

This is a Psychology Tools information handout. Suggested uses include:

  • Client handout – use as a psychoeducation resource
  • Discussion point – use to provoke a discussion and explore client beliefs
  • Therapist learning tool – improve your familiarity with a psychological construct
  • Teaching resource – use as a learning tool during training

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References And Further Reading

  • Ford, D. E., & Kamerow, D. B. (1989). Epidemiologic study of sleep disturbances and psychiatric disorders: an opportunity for prevention?. Jama, 262(11), 1479-1484.
  • Freeman, D., Sheaves, B., Goodwin, G.M., Yu, L.M., Nickless, A., Harrison, P.J., Emsley, R., Luik, A.I., Foster, R.G., Wadekar, V. and Hinds, C., (2017). The effects of improving sleep on mental health (OASIS): a randomised controlled trial with mediation analysis. The Lancet Psychiatry, 4(10), pp. 749-758.
  • Harvey, A. G. (2001). Insomnia: Symptom or diagnosis? Clinical Psychology Review, 21, 1037–1059.
  • Harvey, A. G. (2002). A cognitive model of insomnia. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 40, 869–893.
  • Harvey, A.G. (2005) A Cognitive Theory and Therapy for Chronic Insomnia. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy: An International Quarterly, 19(1), p.41-59.
  • Harvey, A.G., Soehner, A.M., Kaplan, K.A., Hein, K., Lee, J., Kanady, J., Li, D., Rabe-Hesketh, S., Ketter, T.A., Neylan, T.C. and Buysse, D.J., (2015). Treating insomnia improves mood state, sleep, and functioning

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