Insomnia can be an exhausting and frustrating experience that affects nearly every aspect of daily life. Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking too early can leave people feeling physically drained and mentally exhausted.

A Different Approach

Research has shown that CBT-I produces lasting improvements in sleep and is often more effective than sleep medications for long-term results.

Common symptoms of insomnia include:

  • Difficulty falling asleep at bedtime

  • Waking frequently during the night

  • Waking earlier than intended and being unable to return to sleep

  • Daytime fatigue or low energy

  • Difficulty concentrating or remembering information

  • Irritability or mood changes

  • Reduced productivity and performance at work or school

  • Increased worry or anxiety about sleep

Over time, poor sleep can have a significant impact on both physical and emotional well-being. Many people find themselves caught in a cycle where worrying about sleep actually makes it harder to sleep, leading to increased frustration, anxiety, and exhaustion.

Effective Treatment for Insomnia

The good news is that insomnia is highly treatable.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is considered the gold-standard treatment for chronic insomnia and is recommended as the first-line treatment by sleep experts. Research has shown that CBT-I produces lasting improvements in sleep and is often more effective than sleep medications for long-term results (Buysse et al., 2026; Zhang et al., 2022).

CBT-I can also be used alongside medical treatment and other healthcare interventions when appropriate (Torrens et al., 2021).

What Is CBT-I?

CBT-I is a structured, evidence-based treatment that typically takes 4–6 sessions to complete. Rather than simply helping people fall asleep in the short term, CBT-I addresses the underlying thoughts, habits, and behaviors that contribute to ongoing sleep difficulties.

The goal is to help retrain your brain and body for healthy, restorative sleep using practical, personalized strategies.

How CBT-I Improves Sleep

CBT-I typically includes:

  • Sleep Scheduling Adjusting time in bed to better match your body's natural sleep ability, helping improve sleep quality and efficiency.

  • Stimulus Control Strengthening the connection between your bed and sleep so that your brain learns to associate the bedroom with rest rather than wakefulness, worry, or frustration.

  • Cognitive Strategies Identifying and changing unhelpful beliefs, worries, and anxieties about sleep that can interfere with falling asleep or returning to sleep.

  • Relaxation Techniques Learning strategies to reduce physical tension and quiet an overactive mind, making it easier to transition into sleep.

Why CBT-I Works

CBT-I helps people:

  • Improve both sleep quality and sleep efficiency

  • Reduce nighttime wakefulness

  • Decrease anxiety and frustration about sleep

  • Develop healthy, sustainable sleep habits

  • Achieve long-lasting improvements without relying on medication

Many clients begin noticing meaningful improvements within just a few weeks and continue to benefit from the skills they learn long after treatment has ended.

References

Buysse, D. J., et al. (2026). Clinical practice recommendations for the treatment of chronic insomnia.

Torrens, J., et al. (2021). Integrating cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia with medical care.

Zhang, Y., et al. (2022). Long-term outcomes of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia compared with pharmacological treatments.

Buysse, D., Arnedt, J. T., Buenaver, L., et al. (2026). Combination treatment for chronic insomnia disorder in adults: An American Academy of Sleep Medicine clinical practice guideline. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 22, 56.

Torrens, I., Esteva, M., Vicens, C., et al. (2021). Assessing the feasibility and acceptability of a cluster-randomized study of cognitive behavioral therapy for chronic insomnia in a primary care setting. BMC Family Practice, 22, 77.

Zhang, Y., Ren, R., Yang, L., Zhang, H., Shi, Y., Shi, J., ... Tang, X. (2022). Comparative efficacy and acceptability of psychotherapies, pharmacotherapies, and their combination for the treatment of adult insomnia: A systematic review and network meta-analysis. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 65, 101687.