CBT-Insomnia | privatepractice

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy- Insomnia (CBT-I)

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that can make it hard to fall asleep, hard to stay asleep, or cause you to wake up too early and not be able to get back to sleep. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, sometimes called CBT-I, is an effective treatment for chronic sleep problems and is usually recommended as the first line of treatment.

Our 5-Session empirically validated cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia protocol is a structured program that helps you identify and replace thoughts and behaviors that cause or worsen sleep problems with habits that promote sound sleep. CBT-I helps you overcome the underlying causes of your sleep problems.

Our therapists have completed specialized education and training in CBT-I. Because our therapists work across age groups, we are able to creatively structure the 5-session protocol to appropriately meet the developmental needs of our younger clients. In other words, we make CBT-I fun for our younger clients!

How does cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia work?

The cognitive part of CBT-I teaches you to recognize and change beliefs that affect your ability to sleep. This type of therapy can help you control or eliminate negative thoughts and worries that keep you awake.

The behavioral part of CBT-I helps you develop good sleep habits and avoid behaviors that keep you from sleeping well.

Depending on your needs, your sleep therapist may recommend some of these CBT-I techniques:

Stimulus control therapy
Sleep restriction
Sleep hygiene
Sleep environment improvement
Relaxation training
Remaining passively awake, also called paradoxical intention
Biofeedback

The most effective treatment approach may combine several of these methods.