What is CBT-I?

If you've ever searched "how to sleep better" at 2 a.m., you've seen the list: keep the room cool, stick to a schedule, put the phone down. Those tips aren't wrong; they just don't go very far. Think of it as the difference between wiping down a wet counter and fixing the leak that’s causing it.

When sleep problems are serious or persistent, something more targeted is needed. That's where CBT-I comes in.

CBT-I stands for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia. The idea is simple: insomnia is usually kept alive by a combination of thoughts, habits, and stress patterns that have accumulated over time. CBT-I is designed to find those patterns and change them.

A lot of people are surprised to learn that some psychologists specialize in sleep. But think about it—a lot of what disrupts sleep is psychological. Not "in your head" in the dismissive sense. In your head in the very real, very treatable sense.

Treatment typically addresses unhelpful thoughts about sleep, stress and anxiety management, and behaviors that disrupt your body's natural sleep systems. It also extends beyond insomnia: nightmares, circadian rhythm problems, and sleep difficulties tied to shift work or depression are all within reach.

What happens in a session? We meet every two weeks. We check how your sleep has been, talk about stress and anxiety, and practice relaxation techniques. If there is a specific problem (such as relying on sleep medicine, trouble using a CPAP machine, nightmares, or something else) we work on that too. This program is not the same for everyone. It focuses on what is really stopping you from getting your best sleep.