Insomnia and Sleep Disorders Treatment NYC
What is Insomnia?
Insomnia is one of the most common types of sleep disorders, characterized by difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep throughout the night. Lack of non-restorative sleep can lead to a range of symptoms such as fatigue, cognitive impairment, mood disturbance, and struggle at school/work.
There are different types of insomnia and a variety of causes. Chronic sleep deprivation caused by insomnia or other sleep disorders can increase your risk for additional health issues, such as hypertension, diabetes, heart attacks, anxiety, and depression.
In order to treat insomnia, it’s important to identify its potential causes such as stress, mental health disorders, medical conditions, and medications. Mild cases of insomnia can be treated by adopting and practicing good sleep hygiene. For more severe and chronic cases, we can treat the underlying issues to alleviate insomnia symptoms.
Sensorimotor-rhythm Training to Treat Insomnia
One common brain abnormality found in insomniacs is lower levels of sensorimotor-rhythm (SMR) waves. SMR waves are brain waves with a frequency of 12-15 Hz. SMR neurofeedback is designed to train your brain to naturally produce and increase SMR levels. SMR waves play a role in inhibiting movement during sleep, which explains why increased levels of SMR results in fewer awakenings throughout the night. Research has also found that SMR neurofeedback can help insomniacs fall asleep faster, obtain more restorative sleep, and improve their memory consolidation.
How does Neurofeedback work?
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1. Brain map
Brainwave assessment identifies imbalances and helps to create a personalized treatment plan.
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2. Treatment setup
Non-invasive sensors and headphones are placed on your head and the treatment session begins.
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3. Brain activation
Software translates your brainwave data and stops or starts audio/visual media based on your brain activity.
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4. Conditioning
In response to the audio/visual feedback, your brain adapts and learns to regulate your brainwaves and build new, healthy neural pathways.
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5. Brain Training
Over time with continuous brain training, healthy brain activity in target regions increases, and symptom-associated activity decreases.
Ready to start the process?
Step 1: Schedule an intake appointment.
This initial session is a time for you to meet with our clinical psychologist, Dr. Fallahpour, to discuss your medical history, symptoms, goals, circumstances, etc. Fill out the booking form here or call us directly at 212-877-2130 to schedule your intake session or inquire for more information.
Step 2: Complete brain assessments.
After your intake session with Dr. Fallahpour, we recommend that you complete a qEEG brain map and neuropsychological screening. This provides us a more objective understanding of what is happening in your brain and which issues we need to focus on treating.
Step 3: Start treatment sessions.
After reviewing the results of your brain assessments, Dr. Fallahpour will design a personalized treatment plan for you. Then you will be able to start treatment sessions in office or remotely if eligible. Click here to learn more about our treatment options.
Related Research
Neurofeedback as a Potential Nonpharmacological Treatment for Insomnia. Click here
Enhancing sleep quality and memory in insomnia using instrumental sensorimotor rhythm conditioning. Click here
Instrumental Conditioning of Human Sensorimotor Rhythm (12–15 Hz) and Its Impact on Sleep as Well as Declarative Learning. Click here