Insomnia Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I)
Insomnia is a common sleep problem that typically occurs during times of stress. Insomnia often resolves on its own after the stressful event ends. However, sometimes insomnia becomes a chronic problem that lasts for months or years. The most commonly recommended treatment for sleep difficulties is cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I).
CBT-I is recommend by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine for the treatment of insomnia. Research shows that CBT-I is just as effective as sleep medication in the short-term, and more effective than medication in the long-term. CBT-I addresses the causes of insomnia by first helping to identify the factors causing the problem and then correcting them. CBT-I techniques should be practiced at home every day in order for you to realize long-term improvements in the quality of your sleep.
Goals of CBT-I
Reduce the amount of time it takes to fall sleep at night
Reduce the amount of time spent awake in the middle of the night
Improve the quality of sleep
Improve daytime level of alertness and quality of life
- Provide the knowledge and skills to help manage sleep over the long-term without the need for ongoing professional help or medication
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a directive, results-focused therapy. With this approach, I work with individuals to examine their thoughts and how these thoughts affect their sleep and their lives.