What Is CBT-I and How Does It Help with Insomnia?
CBT-I helps you rebuild trust in your body’s natural ability to sleep—without relying on sleep aids.
What Is CBT-I?
CBT-I stands for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia, a research-backed, highly effective approach to treating chronic sleep issues. But don’t let the clinical name throw you off—it’s not just talk therapy or another list of tips about putting your phone away before bed.
At its core, CBT-I helps you understand how a healthy sleep-drive system works, how yours may have been disrupted, and—most importantly—how to get it back on track using a specific, personalized plan.
What CBT-I Is Not
Most people come to CBT-I after trying everything: melatonin, weighted blankets, white noise machines, sleep hygiene routines, meditation apps—and still not sleeping.
Because of that, they often assume CBT-I is more of the same: a long checklist of calming habits to squeeze in before bed. But CBT-I is not about perfecting your nighttime routine—in fact, most of my clients are surprised when I tell them that part of our work will involve doing less, not more.
How CBT-I Works
CBT-I therapy is structured around a few key tools that are customized to your sleep patterns:
Sleep Restriction: This helps consolidate your sleep by limiting the time you spend in bed to match the actual sleep you’re getting, which increases sleep pressure.
Stimulus Control: This retrains your brain to associate your bed only with sleep—not stress, frustration, or scrolling.
Cognitive Restructuring: Many people with insomnia have developed anxious, perfectionistic thoughts about sleep. We work to challenge those beliefs and replace them with more accurate and supportive ones.
Sleep Education: You’ll learn how your body’s sleep system actually works—and how to work with it instead of against it.
Every element of CBT-I is built around helping you sleep more efficiently and reliably—without relying on medication or endless rituals.
Why CBT-I Works When Nothing Else Does
CBT-I is effective because it doesn’t mask sleep problems—it addresses them at the root. It aligns your behavior, environment, and mindset with the natural mechanics of your body’s sleep system. That’s why it’s been shown to work for 70–80% of people with chronic insomnia, often outperforming medication over the long term.
Your Body Isn’t Broken
One of the most powerful moments in this work is when a client realizes they’re actually not broken. Their body still knows how to sleep—CBT-I just gives it the chance to remember.
That shift—from feeling like a failure to understanding that sleep is a natural biological process—is freeing. And it’s often the beginning of real, lasting change.
If You’re Ready to Sleep Again—For Real
If you’re tired of trying everything and still lying awake at night, CBT-I might be exactly what your brain has been waiting for.
I work virtually with adults in Illinois, Florida, Colorado, Wisconsin, and Vermont.
Still unsure? I’ve answered some common questions about CBT-I here. You can also book a 30-minute consultation to find out if it’s a good fit for you.