CBT-I

CBT-I is a focused treatment for ongoing sleep problems. It is used when you have trouble falling asleep, wake often, wake too early, or spend a lot of time in bed without sleeping well.

Sleep problems often begin during a stressful or difficult time. You may start going to bed earlier, staying in bed longer, napping, or trying harder to sleep. These choices are understandable. But over time, they can teach your brain to link bed with being awake, worried, and frustrated.

CBT-I helps undo this pattern. Two of its main tools are stimulus control and sleep restriction. Stimulus control helps your brain reconnect bed with sleep. Sleep restriction reduces the amount of time you spend awake in bed, so sleep becomes stronger and more settled. As your sleep improves, your time in bed is slowly increased.

These methods may sound simple, but they are carefully planned and adjusted. They are also some of the most effective treatments we have for insomnia. They can work even when sleep problems happen alongside stress, anxiety, low mood, pain, or other health concerns.

CBT-I is not just sleep hygiene or a list of tips. It is a structured, evidence-based treatment that helps retrain sleep. It may also include work on worried thoughts about sleep and ways to calm the body, depending on what is keeping the problem going.