CBT-I Therapy for Chronic Insomnia
It doesn’t have to be this hard forever.
It started as a few nights of bad sleep and then took on a life of its own.
It seems like everyone else just falls asleep. They get tired, get in bed, get comfy, and close their eyes. That’s it. But not for you. You get anxious just thinking about bedtime. You feel tired during the day. Your patience is basically non-existent. You wonder if there’s something you’re doing wrong. Is your body just broken when it comes to sleep? You’re sure not able to do this basic human function like everyone else seems to. Shouldn’t you be able to fall asleep and sleep through the night when you’re tired? You’re growing resentful of others for simply being able to sleep. You need help but you’re scared to try one more thing because nothing has worked so far.
You aren’t broken. This is a fixable problem.
These are all feelings people with chronic insomnia experience.
Insomnia is a regular part of being human. We all have the occasional bad night or two of sleep. But chronic insomnia is something different. Chronic insomnia is defined as three nights or more per week of difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, or poor quality sleep for at least three months.
Many different things can cause that initial bout of insomnia and we aren’t exactly sure why it becomes a chronic issue for some people. But one thing is absolutely certain: it is NOT your fault and it IS treatable.
You are not broken. You aren’t doing sleep wrong. We simply give out a lot of really bad sleep advice that actually perpetuates the problem for people with chronic insomnia. This is a distinct problem whose solutions are not the typical “sleep hygiene” routine.
Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) can help you learn to work with your body’s sleep system to restore restful sleep. We will work to understand what exactly is going wrong with your sleep currently, devise a realistic action plan to reverse those issues, and chart a path forward back to “normal life” after treatment is over so you can maintain and expand upon the gains you made.
I will be with you the whole way. Walking right next to you, open to all of your thoughts and feelings, no matter how overwhelming they may seem right now. I’ve been in your shoes. I get it.
imagine if you…
Understood exactly what your body needs to produce sleep
There is so much information out there about sleep. Most of it is not evidence-based or accurate, it’s simply stories about random things that have worked for other people. Some of it is totally correct but not actually designed to work for the unique problem of chronic insomnia. And then some of it is actually causing your sleep to get worse. It’s not that people out there want to give bad advice, it’s just that there’s no way to create a general solution. In our work together, we will pin point exactly what YOUR body is asking for to get the rest you need.
Had a customized action plan that fits you and your life
What works according to the data is useless if it isn’t realistic for your life. There is no one size fits all approach to chronic insomnia treatment. You can’t follow a generic plan that someone posts online. During each session, I will provide you with options to address the unique problems your body is experiencing. We will then work together to figure out how to tailor those suggestions into something that you can actually implement. And I’ll be available to you between sessions to help you trouble shoot any obstacles that pop up along the way.
Felt confident in your ability to sleep again
Chronic insomnia is a 24-hour a day disorder. It doesn’t just cause poor sleep. It disrupts your days, relationships, perhaps worst of all, it can erode your confidence in yourself and your body to perform a basic human task. Individuals with chronic insomnia often experience comorbid anxiety and depression because this uncertainty becomes all-consuming. With CBT-I, you will understand exactly why your body is doing what it’s doing, know exactly what steps you need to take to get back in the driver’s seat for sleep, and restore your sense of peace.
1
Pre-Treatment Intake and Assessment
A 60-minute intake and assessment session to determine the specific targets for your customized sleep plan. We will review the sleep diary given to you during your consultation to pinpoint what is perpetuating your insomnia. You will leave with a plan that tells you exactly what to do for the next two weeks.
2
CBT-I Treatment Sessions 1-3
These sessions will begin two weeks after your intake session. Lasting 30-45 minutes each every two weeks, we will review your sleep diary to see how your body is responding to the plan we set. Together we will troubleshoot any issues that came up and start working on extending your sleep time as appropriate.
3
Treatment Session 4 and Treatment Completion
During this final session, we will again review your sleep diary to see how your sleep has progressed over the course of treatment. We will discuss a relapse prevention plan and outline how you can begin to return to a more “normal” sleep life. You will leave treatment knowing how to keep the momentum going.
What you get
EVIDENCE-BASED TREATMENT
CBT-I has been recognized as a first-line treatment for chronic insomnia by the American College of Physicians. It has been shown to be as effective as hypnotic medications, but with even greater long-term durability.
A customized SLEEP plan
You will receive what I like to call a “sleep prescription” after each treatment session. This plan will be easy to follow, customized to the specifics of your life, and responsive to the particular and unique struggles you have been facing. No generic recommendations will be involved, I promise.
A partner on your journey to SLEEP
Between sessions, you will have access to me via Voxer. This secure app will allow us to send voice notes and texts to each other so I can help support you as you implement the changes we decide upon in session. Having gone through this process myself, I know how helpful it can be to have someone available for accountability and cheerleading. I never want you to feel like you’re in this alone.
Ready to get started?