What is CBT-I?

I specialize in a non-medication approach to treating insomnia called CBT-I, which is the first-line recommended treatment for chronic or recurrent insomnia by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the National Institute of Health and the American Psychological Association.  CBT-I was developed at Harvard University and the University of Massachusetts Medical Center by Gregg Jacobs, PhD. It is fast, safe and effective.

CBT-I consists of 8 one-hour sessions. It addresses types of learning that impact development of insomnia and uses techniques such as stimulus control, sleep restriction, and cognitive restructuring along with healthy sleep habits. Many people have already tried sleep hygiene and found it ineffective or hard to follow. Sleep hygiene alone has not been found effective for treating insomnia.

Therapy or Medications

In multiple research studies, CBT-I is as or more effective than sleeping pills. CBT-I addresses the underlying cause of insomnia so the gains are long-lasting. It can also improve co-existing problems such as depression, anxiety, cognitive complaints, pain, and weight gain.

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Sleep medications have a place in insomnia treatment but they can have limited effectiveness and carry risks of dependence, withdrawal and other harmful effects. Side effects in older adults can include risk of falls and cognitive impairment. Most sleep medications were not intended for long-term use but many people find it hard to stop them even if they aren’t working well or start to require higher and higher doses to work.​