Cognitive Behavioural therapy for insomnia  (CTB-I) currently the best available treatment for chronic insomnia disorder.  CBT-I involves a number of strategies to break the cycle of insomnia and help patients recognize and change patterns of behaviours and thoughts that contribute to insomnia. Treatment focuses on developing new habits that promote sleep.

Rationale for CBT-I:  Sleep is like breathing, an essential function.  You were born with the ability to sleep without anyone’s help.  It might appear that you have lost that ability. However, it is only a belief and you have not lost the ability.  It is our aim to make you regain your belief in your innate ability to sleep.

Sleep is a behaviour.  All behaviours, when repeated, become habits. When poor sleep habits become entrenched, we develop sleep problems such as insomnia. To improve these problems we need to change your sleep habits.

Process of CB~T-I:  Changing sleep habits mean changing your sleep behaviour.  We achieve this through Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) specifically modified for insomnia, known as CBT for insomnia or CBT-I for short.

Changing a habit takes time. The time taken varies from a few weeks to a few months depending upon the nature of your difficulty and your attitude and ability to change habits.

During CBT-I YOU have do the ‘work’ for changing your habits. The role of the therapist is to educate, guide and empower you to take charge of managing your sleep. 

Our purpose is to help you to become independent – become your own therapist. We do not like to foster dependency,

Components of CBT-I: It usually combines several interventions tailored to each patient. these include: stimulus control, sleep restriction, relaxation training, cognitive therapy, bright light therapy, sleep hygiene education and others.

A sleep diary maintained daily is an essential tool for CBT-I.  In addition, we routinely ask patients to assess their daytime sleepiness, fatigue and alertness every week during the period of CBT-I.

Benefits of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy of Insomnia

• This is a time limited treatment – 6- 8 sessions. CBT-I is a time-limited psychological therapy.  In simple Chronic Insomnia Disorder, we aim to finish the course in approximately 8 sessions.  If you have other sleep disorders or coexistent medical/psychiatric/psychological problems, it usually takes longer.  If can also vary depending on your learning speed.

• Lasting benefit in a high percentage of patients.
• Can be successfully used to treat insomnia occurring in the context of many other medical or psychiatric disorders