Glossary
ANS
autonomic nervous system; a part of the body’s nervous system that regulates involuntary functions of the body
Biological Clock
internal clock that regulates sleep/wake cycle
Bed Prescription
the amount of time you will spend in bed each night
CBT-I
cognitive behavioral treatment for insomnia
Diaphragmatic Breathing
a breathing technique that activates the Parasympathetic Nervous System (see lesson 2 for instructions)
Dysfunctional Cognitions
unhelpful thoughts that can lead to negative beliefs about sleep that can further sleep problems
Hot Thought
a thought that brings about a wave of negative feelings
PNS
parasympathetic nervous system; a bodily system that can calm the body down
Sleep Efficiency
percentage of time an individual spent in bed actually sleeping
Sleep Hygiene
a technique that targets behaviors that increase arousal and reduce one’s sleep drive (see lesson 1 for instructions)
Sleep Restriction
a technique that uses a bed time prescription to fit the amount of time you spend in bed each night to your true sleep need
SNS
sympathetic nervous system; a bodily system that allows individuals to move quickly by releasing chemicals such as adrenalin
SOL
sleep onset latency; the amount of time it takes to fall asleep
Stimulant
a substance that can increase arousal and cause difficulty falling or staying asleep
Stimulus Control
a technique that is used to help your mind and body relearn to associate your bed and bedroom with sleep (see lesson 1 for instructions)
TST
total sleep time (sleep duration)
WASO
wake after sleep onset; the total amount of time someone spends awake after falling asleep; For example, if someone woke up a total of 4 times (not counting the final awakening), and each awakening lasted for 10 minutes, their total wake time would be 40 minutes