Research estimates that from 30-40% of people have difficulty getting to sleep and or staying asleep. The effects of poor sleep on mood, health and work productivity are alarming.
The Sleep Solution
Drs. Champaigne and Klassen have developed a unique sleep training program: The Sleep Solution. On-going outcome measurement of our clients over the years demonstrates a 90% success rate in significantly improving parameters of sleep. This is a sleep training model where we integrate, but expand beyond, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and do brain activity training so that individuals learn to improve their skill of getting to sleep and staying asleep. The basis of this is biofeedback and neurofeedback therapy that we have been doing since 1994.
There are two types of sleep disorders: dyssomnias and parasomnias. Dyssomnias include disturbance in the amount of sleep, falling asleep and staying asleep. In primary insomnia the problem involves getting to sleep and staying asleep and hypersomnia is marked by excessive sleepiness. Parasomnias include nightmares, sleep terror, and sleepwalking in which abnormal events occur during sleep such as repeated awakenings, frightening dreams, abrupt awakenings, or sleep walking. Sleeping less than six hours a night has been linked to many health difficulties including depression, obesity, and dementia. It has been estimated that sleeping only 5 hours or less a night increases the risk of death by 15%! If you want to learn why you should be sleeping more we recommend the 2017 book by neuroscientist and sleep expert Dr. Matthew Walker: Why We Sleep. But be warned, if you sleep under 6 hours a night now, this is a very scary book to read!
For primary insomnia, which affects a third of all Canadians, we have developed a unique program we call The Sleep Solution, a program that provides:
- 12 sessions of breath and brain activity training so that you can learn to “at will” switch to sleep when needed;
- 3 psychology sessions for expert guidance on sleep;
- accurate and easy to read graphs to track before and after sleep training patterns;
- The Sleep Solution App to track your progress;
- development of your own individualized brain sleep music called the “Alpha Switch” which is a recording of your own brain activity going to sleep for you to listen to when you need to.
A longer period of training and concurrent psychological services may be required for individuals struggling with injury, trauma or more complicated situations that impact upon sleep.
This program does not treat breathing related disorders featuring excessive sleep, sleep apnea, or narcolepsy which involves the uncomfortable attacks of sleep.
We accept referrals directly to our program The Sleep Solution from other psychologists, social workers, physicians and psychotherapists to assist with client progress. You do not have to be a clinical client of ours to access this service. Yes, we can submit a treatment plan through Motor Vehicle Insurance for this. This service is a psychological service and should be covered under collateral benefits and EAP services that cover psychological services.