CBT-I CBT-I Relaxation & Mindfulness Techniques 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Mindfulness-Based Therapy for Insomnia (MBT-I) combines which two approaches?
- CBT-I and pharmacotherapy
- MBSR practices and standard CBT-I behavioral components (Correct answer)
- Hypnotherapy and sleep restriction
- Biofeedback and cognitive restructuring
Correct answer: MBSR practices and standard CBT-I behavioral components
MBT-I integrates Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) practices with standard CBT-I behavioral components.
Question 2: How does acceptance-based therapy differ from standard cognitive restructuring in CBT-I?
- It focuses on eliminating negative sleep thoughts
- It encourages observing thoughts without trying to change them (Correct answer)
- It uses medication to reduce arousal
- It extends the sleep window to increase total sleep time
Correct answer: It encourages observing thoughts without trying to change them
Acceptance-based approaches teach patients to coexist with unhelpful thoughts rather than dispute or eliminate them.
Question 3: Which relaxation technique involves focusing attention sequentially on different body regions?
- Autogenic training
- Diaphragmatic breathing
- Body scan meditation (Correct answer)
- Systematic desensitization
Correct answer: Body scan meditation
Body scan meditation guides attention through each body part to cultivate non-judgmental awareness and relaxation.
Question 4: In CBT-I, relaxation techniques are primarily used to address which perpetuating factor?
- Sleep deprivation
- Hyperarousal (somatic and cognitive) (Correct answer)
- Circadian misalignment
- Insufficient sleep hygiene
Correct answer: Hyperarousal (somatic and cognitive)
Hyperarousal — including elevated physiological and cognitive activation — is the key perpetuating factor targeted by relaxation techniques.
Question 5: When should relaxation exercises ideally be practiced according to CBT-I guidelines?
- Only immediately before sleep
- Regularly during the day and as part of the wind-down routine (Correct answer)
- Exclusively during nighttime awakenings
- Only when feeling severe anxiety
Correct answer: Regularly during the day and as part of the wind-down routine
Regular daytime practice builds skill so relaxation becomes accessible at bedtime without performance anxiety.
Question 6: Which mindfulness principle is most relevant to reducing 'sleep effort' in insomnia?
- Non-striving and letting go of outcome expectations (Correct answer)
- Beginner's mind and curiosity
- Impermanence of all experience
- Interconnectedness with others
Correct answer: Non-striving and letting go of outcome expectations
Non-striving reduces the counterproductive effort to force sleep, which typically worsens sleep onset insomnia.
CBT-I CBT-I Relaxation & Mindfulness Techniques 2
Mindfulness-Based Therapy for Insomnia (MBT-I) combines which two approaches?