What Is Insomnia?

Most people experience poor sleep at some point during their lives. However, people with insomnia disorder have frequent and chronic difficulty falling or staying asleep that affects their daytime functioning, including energy level, attention, concentration, and mood. It is common for people with insomnia to be told that sleep hygiene techniques, such as eliminating caffeine and removing electronics from the bedroom, will help. Although sleep hygiene is important, most often it is not sufficient to help people with chronic insomnia improve their sleep.

What is CBT for Insomnia (CBT-I)?

CBT-I is the gold standard treatment for insomnia recommended by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the American College of Physicians. CBT-I is a short-term treatment, backed by decades of research. It begins with a thorough assessment of sleep and daytime activity patterns, difficulties, and habits. Treatment involves creating a custom-tailored plan that includes changing behaviors around sleep, identifying and challenging thoughts that interfere with sleep, learning relaxation strategies, and improving sleep hygiene/sleep habits. CBT-I typically lasts between 4-6 sessions and beneficial effects tend to be long-lasting. If you take sleep medication and would like to reduce or eliminate your use, I am happy to coordinate care with your physician to create a plan to help you achieve your goals.