The Crucial Role of Sleep in EMDR
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a psychotherapy technique used to help individuals process and heal from traumatic memories. EMDR itself can be a distressing, very rewarding process, which is why it’s important to be prepped and ready for the intense work ahead.
Sleep plays a crucial role in the success EMDR therapy because sleep allows us to consolidate memories and information. This is necessary because consolidation help form the building blocks of our ability to learn, adapt, remember and make sense of the world around us. It is a fundamental process that underlies our cognitive and emotional functioning and allows us to build on our past experiences to navigate the present and shape our future.
Furthermore, sleep assists the EMDR process by supporting the following:
Memory Processing During Sleep: While you're asleep, particularly during the rapid eye movement (REM) stage, your brain is actively processing and consolidating memories. This includes traumatic memories aimed as EMDR targets. During REM sleep, your brain reviews and reorganizes information, helping you make “sense” of experiences. This is part of the regular clean up that happens at night that is necessary for health.
Emotional Regulation: EMDR therapy involves revisiting and processing distressing memories in a controlled and safe environment. With adequate sleep, your brain better equipped to regulate emotions and manage the distress that may arise during and after EMDR sessions. Quality sleep can help you approach therapy with a more stable and resilient emotional state.
Integration of Insights: EMDR often leads to new perspectives and insights on traumatic events. Sleep provides an opportunity for your brain to integrate these insights and resources into your understanding of the traumatic memory. This integration can contribute to the therapeutic progress and can be part of the reprocessing phase of EMDR.
Consolidation of Positive Outcomes: EMDR aims to replace distressing beliefs and emotions associated with a target memory with more adaptive ones. Adequate sleep can assist in consolidating these positive changes and reinforcing them over time as resources.
To optimize the benefits of EMDR therapy, and shorten treatment durations, it's essential to prioritize good sleep hygiene and ensure you get enough restful sleep. Learn more about sleep hygiene here. Sleep quality can directly impact your ability to engage effectively in therapy and allow your brain to process and integrate the changes made during EMDR sessions. If you are struggling with your sleep, make sure to talk to your therapist about strategies before starting or continuing EMDR work.
Examples of issues to bring to your therapist regarding sleep are: If you are sleeping too much or too little, any sleep changes that you notice, trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, nightmares and other dreams relating to the content you are working on in session, including positive, negative and neutral aspects.
It should also be noted that some distressing target memories can prevent quality sleep, particularly if you are having nightmares. In this scenario, it may be best to continue with EMDR and target the memory in order to restore sleep.
Ensuring that you are ready to tolerate the distress of EMDR work is vital! Stabilization and preparation for EMDR could take as little as a few sessions, or could take months and it is hands down, the most important stage. You can learn more about the different stages to EMDR here.
It's important to note that EMDR therapy should be conducted under the guidance of a trained therapist who can help you navigate the process and provide support throughout your healing journey.
References:
Stickgold, R., & Walker, M. P. (2013). Sleep-dependent memory triage: evolving generalization through selective processing. Nature Neuroscience, 16(2), 139-145.
Shapiro, F. (2017). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR): Basic principles, protocols, and procedures. Guilford Press.
DISCLAIMER: This blog and website it to be used for information only and to not intended to diagnose, treat or prevent any illness or condition. Individuals who read this content must take responsibility for their own health and wellness.
