Better Sleep: Evidence-Based Interventions

Although clinicians often recognise the importance of sleep problems in people with psychotic experiences, the recommended Cognitive Behavioural Treatments are rarely used. Insomnia and nightmares are the most common sleep disorders experienced by people with psychosis, but other sleep disorder comorbidities are extremely common. This chapter outlines evidence-based CBT techniques for treating insomnia and nightmares in the context of co-occurring psychotic symptoms and bipolar affective disorder. Case examples illustrate how to optimise these techniques when other sleep comorbidities are present (e.g. circadian rhythm disruption) and during particular phases of illness (from ultra-high risk to an acute episode). The reader will gain an insight into patients’ perspectives on sleep problems and experiences of treatment. Common supervision dilemmas and barriers to implementation will be addressed in order to guide treatment planning in clinical practice.