DECODE Newsletter: The 5 Cs of Change

Hello,

A while back, I heard someone list these two necessary ingredients for effective change: curriculum and community.

I've come back to this little phrase over and over as I've been going about designing a new insomnia program for teens, young adults, and their parents.

While I like the simplicity of just two Cs, there are three more that are critical in my experience: confidence, a compelling reason, and charge.

A common barrier in my work is the belief (in teens and parents alike) that sleeping better is just not possible in the teen years.

Teens are so set up for insomnia and past attempts to follow well-meaning sleep hygiene handouts have led to frustration, fuelling a lack of confidence that anything will work. When that confidence isn't there, the consistency needed to see progress is next to impossible.

Another common barrier is that the motivation to address sleep is lacking.

Teens already naturally live in a state of ambivalence and, frankly, many of the action steps required to get sleep on track are not fun...but they are very doable. What is needed is a clear reason to sleep better that is personally meaningful to your teen or a compelling reason.

Finally, teens are exhausted.

Again, because they are so set up for insomnia, many teens chronically operate in 'low battery mode'. It's pretty hard to build new skills, break unhelpful habits, and create helpful habits when their charge is constantly about to run out. This is where a clear roadmap to get from point A to point B as quickly and painlessly as possible is key.

ACTION:

If your teen is struggling to sleep well, take two minutes to reflect on which of the Cs may be missing.

Do then know what they need to do to sleep well and how to do these things (curriculum)? Do they believe that sleeping better is possible and that they are capable of taking the necessary steps to sleep better (confidence)? Do they have the support and accountability they need to make this change (community)? Do they have the energy and attention to sustain consistent action, build new skills, and create more helpful habits (charge)? Finally, do they have at least one reason that's personally meaningful to them to take the required action steps to sleep better (compelling reason)?

If you'd like to hear more, I will be putting on a live virtual webinar for teens, young adults, and their parents in February.

In this webinar, I'm going to cover

• key information about insomnia
• why sleeping well is so hard in the teen and young adult years
• the first few steps to take
• the roadmap for getting sleep on track

You can sign-up here to attend on February 10th at 4pm EST or February 28th at 12pm EST.

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All The Best,

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P.S. Help me spread these ideas! Please share this email or the webinar sign-up link with any teens, young adults, or parents you think could benefit. 

Want to read past newsletters? You can find them all here.

NOTE: The content and all linked materials in this newsletter provide general information about sleep and insomnia and are not intended to replace medical advice from a qualified healthcare provider. The provided content should not be relied upon for medical diagnosis or management. Please direct questions or concerns to your physician and/or qualified health care provider.