MIRECC / CoE

This is a perfect goal for CBT for Insomnia treatment! Treatment begins by looking at how much you currently sleep. Then, you'll learn very effective ways to improve your sleep. After about 4 weeks, most Veterans who receive this treatment sleep longer and better.

Laying awake at night is a common — and uncomfortable — part of insomnia. CBT treatment teaches proven skills for falling asleep more quickly. As part of treatment, you will learn how to re-train your brain for sleep. You will also learn skills to calm both your mind and body so they are ready for sleep.

Many people with insomnia worry about whether they'll fall asleep at night. This makes the mind more active and makes sleep problems even worse. CBT treatment teaches skills to change thoughts that make it harder to sleep and to relax the mind and body.

CBT treatment is about both increasing the amount of sleep and how well you sleep. In fact, most people who receive this treatment report feeling more rested and better able to function during the day.

Great — this is at the heart of CBT treatment! The treatment includes specific steps that are proven to decrease the amount of time people with insomnia are awake at night. These steps will help you both fall asleep more quickly when you go to bed and reduce the amount of time you spend laying awake during the night.

People with insomnia often feel tired and like they are "dragging" during the day. Because CBT treatment improves how much and how well one sleeps, most people report that they feel more rested and awake during the day!

Sleep is important for concentration and focus. Because of this, many people who have problems sleeping report not being able to concentrate as well at work, in school, or at home. By improving how much and how well you sleep, CBT treatment can help improve your ability to concentrate and focus. This can make it easier to get things done.

Sleeping well is important for emotional health. Because of this, some people with insomnia have changes in their mood, including feeling down or irritable. The good news is research (including research with Veterans) shows that, as sleep improves during CBT treatment, so too does mood. This is an added benefit of treatment!

By improving the amount of sleep, quality of sleep, and mood, CBT treatment improves the ability to function throughout the day and live life!

Sleep medications can make people feel sleepy for a short amount of time. Although, they usually don't help with getting more restful sleep. Sleeping pills can also have side effects. Research on CBT for Insomnia treatment shows that it is as effective as sleep medications in the short-term and more effective than medications in the long-term. It also has no side effects.