Patients are treated over the course of about 6 to 8 weeks.
To that end, CBT-i focuses on five main components.
Your therapist will walk you through these and help you implement them.
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As your insomnia resolves, you would increase that time, of course, and get more sleep.
But the idea is to restrict the amount of time you spend in bed struggling with sleep.
Stimulus Control
Stimulus control involves restricting what you are allowed to do in bed.
Usually, this means that you are only allowed to sleep or have sex in your bed.
These might includedeep breathingtechniques,progressive muscle relaxation, and mental focusing/imagery meditation techniques.
Sleep Hygiene
Sleep hygieneinvolves the everyday practices that train your body to fall asleep more easily.
Insomnia is defined as the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep.
For example, it can decrease symptoms ofdepressionas well as symptoms of suicidal ideation.
If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor.
If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.
For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
This is based on the fact that there is evidence supporting CBT-i as an effective technique for managing insomnia.
This is temporary and should resolve quickly.
Again, treatment usually lasts about 6 to 8 weeks so patience can go a long way.
Find out which option is the best for you.
They will take a stab at understand what is going on when you struggle to sleep.
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DeAngelis T.Behavioral therapy works best for insomnia.
2016;47(9):18.
Annals of Internal Medicine.
American Academy of Sleep Medicine.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
Current Sleep Medicine Reports.
Stanford Health Care.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia.
Anxiety and Depression Association of America.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I).
Journal of General Internal Medicine.
