Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is an evidence-based, multi-component treatment that targets difficulties with initiating and/or maintaining sleep. CBT-I is considered the “gold standard” for insomnia-related issues, and is often the first-line treatment recommended by medical and mental health professionals when an individual is struggling with chronic insomnia. CBT-I is designed to be short-term (typically delivered in 6-10 sessions), and has been demonstrated to be effective via in-person or telehealth services.
There are four primary components of CBT-I: sleep restriction (which ultimately works to increase an individual’s sleep drive); stimulus control (which uses behavioral modifications to help the brain and body associate their bed with sleep); sleep hygiene (which aims to help create healthy sleep habits); and cognitive therapy (which helps an individual change their relationship to their thoughts that can interfere with sleep). Individuals who participate in CBT-I are also asked to track their sleep-related behaviors using a sleep log, and to complete regular homeowork assignments.