Help for grandfather's Insomnia/Anxiety
Can anyone recommend a therapist who specializes in insomnia/anxiety for a 75 year old? My father has struggled with insomnia for the past 7 months and can't seem to find anything that helps, he has tried everything! The struggle has led to what now seems to be a big part of the problem - Anxiety. He has also been a worrier, slightly anxious person but this has tipped him into a new place with more full blown anxiety.
Any wisdom/advice would be greatly appreciated.
Aug 10, 2019
Parent Replies
First the obvious. Does this person drink coffee, tea, cola, etc? As we age, it is more difficult to clear caffeine from the body. Something that was fine at 20 or 30, like drinking a cup of coffee with breakfast, may be too much at 70. Eliminate all caffeine. Then fragrances can cause insomnia. Air fresheners, perfume, cologne, even shampoo and lotion. Eliminate all fragrances.
https://www.massnurses.org/health-and-safety/articles/chemical-exposures/p/openItem/1346
Make sure the room is dark. Seems like they put in more and brighter street lights all the time. Also try progressive muscular relaxation. There are many youtube guides, but this will gie you the general idea,
https://www.verywellmind.com/the-benefits-of-progressive-muscle-relaxation-90014
Kaiser has wonderful mindfulness classes, including some specifically aimed at insomnia. I loved taking the course. It was a broad spectrum of ages but mostly older folks about the age of your father.
I had terrible insomnia about two years ago. And I would get so anxious about having insomnia that it actually gave me panic attacks...which made the insomnia much worse. The whole thing became a really debilitating cycle that I couldn’t get out of by myself.
I had already cut out caffeine and done all the “sleep hygiene” tips that are recommended for sleep. I also tried talk therapy about the situation. But the only thing that made a real difference - and it was a life changer - was starting exposure therapy. This is a kind of therapy that’s used for people with OCD who have phobias to help them work through their intense fear/panic. I hadn’t thought of insomnia as a phobia before - but it really was for me. So my therapist and I worked on facing the fear and panic that having insomnia brought up for me and I had just tremendous results. I worked with Emily Berner, MFT, at the San Francisco Bay Area Center for Cognitive Therapy. (It’s located in rock ridge.) it was expensive because she wasn’t in my insurance network. But it was with every penny. Good luck to your dad!