Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is based on the idea that chronic insomnia is due to learned behavior that can be unlearned.

Components of CBT-I includes:

  1. sleep education
  2. stimulus control (behavioral)
    • primarily for difficulty falling asleep (sleep onset insomnia)
    • remove link between bed and being awake
    • remove items from bedroom that are incompatible with sleep
    • If you’re unable to fall asleep for a while, leave the bed and only return when you feel drowsy
  3. sleep restriction (behavioral)
  • More appropriately should be called “bed restriction”
  • aim to increase sleep drive and reduce time in bed laying awake
  • a.k.a. increasing sleep efficiency
  1. cognitive therapy
  • Address and change unhealthy beliefs about sleep