Tag: can

Can Gut Health Affect Anxiety, Inflammation, and Sleep?

Gut health and sleep support through fermented foods and calm evening nutrition

Can Gut Health Affect Anxiety, Inflammation, and Sleep? By Dr. Charles R. Freeman, Ph.D. Gut health and sleep are connected, but not in the simple way often promoted online. Food does not cure chronic insomnia, anxiety, PTSD, trauma, or depression. Nutrition can support the body’s biological systems, including gut health, inflammation, blood sugar stability, immune […]

Can EMDR Help Reduce Nightmares?

Frightened man awake in bed after a nightmare, representing trauma-related nightmares, PTSD sleep problems, and EMDR treatment

Can EMDR Help Reduce Nightmares? By Dr. Charles R. Freeman, Ph.D. Can EMDR help reduce nightmares? Yes, EMDR may help reduce nightmares when the nightmares are connected to trauma, PTSD, anxiety, or disturbing memories that the nervous system has not fully processed. EMDR does not work by trying to force the dream to stop. It […]

What Is Sleep Coaching and Can It Help You Sleep Better?

Adult participating in an online sleep coaching session to improve sleep habits and overall well-being

What Is Sleep Coaching and Can It Help You Sleep Better? By Dr. Charles R. Freeman, Ph.D. You might be wondering, what is sleep coaching and can it help you sleep better? You may have come across the term “sleep coach,” but  what exactly is sleep coaching, and can it actually help you sleep better? For […]

Can Sugar Keep You Awake? The Connection Between Sugar and Sleep

Middle-aged woman in pajamas standing in a kitchen at night, holding a sugary snack and wondering if sugar can affect sleep and cause insomnia

Can Sugar Keep You Awake? The Connection Between Sugar and Sleep By Dr. Charles R. Freeman, Ph.D. Can sugar keep you awake? Many people are surprised to learn that the answer is yes. While stress and anxiety are common causes of insomnia, sugar can also affect sleep quality, energy levels, and nighttime awakenings. As a […]

Can PTSD Cause Insomnia?

A service member in a therapy session discussing PTSD-related insomnia, hypervigilance, nightmares, and sleep recovery

Can PTSD Cause Insomnia? By Dr. Charles R. Freeman, Ph.D. Yes, PTSD can cause insomnia. Post-traumatic stress disorder can keep the nervous system on alert long after the danger has passed. A person may be physically safe in bed, but the brain and body may still be scanning for threat. That can make it hard […]

Can CBT-I Help You Sleep Without Medication?

Peaceful bedroom with warm morning light and mountain views, representing natural sleep improvement through CBT-I without medication

Can CBT-I Help You Sleep Without Medication? By Dr. Charles R. Freeman, Ph.D. Yes, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia, or CBT-I, can help many people sleep with less reliance on medication. CBT-I teaches the brain and body how to return to natural sleep by changing the thoughts, behaviors, habits, and nervous-system patterns that keep insomnia […]

Can Therapy Help You Sleep Without Medication?

Middle-aged woman sleeping peacefully as a result of therapy for sleep without medication

Can Therapy Help You Sleep Without Medication? By Dr. Charles R. Freeman, Ph.D. Yes, therapy can help many people sleep without relying solely on medication, especially when insomnia is being driven by anxiety, trauma, stress, pain, rumination, sleep fear, or learned patterns of nighttime alertness. Medication may provide short-term relief, but therapy addresses the patterns […]