Need Relief from Insomnia?
BREAK FREE FROM RESTLESS NIGHTS
Calm the storm inside | Sleep peacefully | Live with more energy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia
"You look tired…is everything ok?"
The dreaded question no one wants to be asked. It can feel unavoidable if you suffer from chronic insomnia. Insomnia is not just a matter of losing sleep.
You lose focus on projects that matter to you, you lose the ability to manage your mood, and you lose time with family and friends because you are simply too tired.
Recalibrating your sleep schedule and improving the quality of your sleep is my main focus at Sleep Psychology of California.
For over 18 years, I've helped clients in California and Virginia redefine their relationship with sleep and guided them through specialized treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (or CBT-I).
What is Chronic Insomnia?
Most adults will experience situational periods of insomnia. People with insomnia may find it difficult to naturally fall asleep or stay asleep. The minimal sleep they are getting is not restorative, which can lead to feeling sluggish throughout the day.
Most short periods of situational insomnia resolve on their own, but when they don't it can lead to chronic insomnia.
Chronic insomnia is the experience of being unable to fall asleep or waking up frequently 3 - 4 nights a week, for more than 3 months.
Complications of chronic insomnia include:
Irritable or anxious mood - low frustration tolerance
Lack of focus and inability to concentrate on details or conversations
Delays in alertness and feeling overly fatigued Risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes and stroke increased
Lowered immune system defense
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I)
The gold standard treatment for insomnia is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (or CBT-I). CBT-I offers sustainable solutions that can be used anywhere and at any time. There are minimal risks associated with CBT-I versus prescription medication for sleep, which may be costly, cause harmful side effects, and may have a high risk for dependency.
How would CBTI help me?
While medications and other approaches may help some individuals, they are often only short-term solutions. CBTI explores underlying issues and helps you find strategies that work to get you lifelong sleep.
What to Expect With CBT-I
One of the best aspects of CBT-I is the applicability of the treatment to other pain points in your life. If you struggle with chronic pain or a range of mental health conditions (ADHD, PTSD, depression, anxiety, or other mood disorders) you can apply the skills learned in CBT-I towards those conditions (time management, self awareness, and stress reduction) and once you improve the quality of your sleep - you'll likely experience an improvement in both physical and emotional well being.
Prior to starting CBT-I, our initial session will involve me becoming familiar with relevant medical and mental health history, your mood and current stressors, and your current sleep habits and concerns.
CBT-I components include:
1. Education
- Overview of the typical sleep cycle, insomnia, and realistic expectations for sleep.
2. Behavioral Interventions
- Stimulus Control: A technique helping you associate the bed with sleep.
- Sleep Restriction: Limiting your time in bed to only include when you are sleepy. This can improve sleep quality and sleep efficiency.
- Sleep Hygiene: Changes you can make to your nightly habits or routine to improveyour ability to fall asleep and stay asleep.
3. Relaxation Training
- These techniques are aimed at the mind-body connection and may involve breathing exercises, movement and stretching, and mental imagery.
3. Prioritize your Sleep
- Prioritizing your sleep starts with Sleep Psychology of California. I'm eager to see how we can adjust, recalibrate, and restore your sleep!
- If you live in California or Virginia - schedule your free consultation call. If you don't see a time that works., feel free to email me at: help@sleeppsychologycalifornia.com
ADHD and Sleep
ADHD brains have specific struggles with sleep, such as side effects of stimulant medications, a naturally delayed circadian clock, and difficulty transitioning into a “sleep state” at night.
You’re not “lazy”, there is a biological basis to how your brain works. Studies show the majority of adults with ADHD have a delayed circadian clock. This means your body starts producing melatonin later so you don’t feel sleepy until later. And your body starts producing cortisol later in the morning, which makes waking up more difficult.
This often looks like:
- Being a Night Owl: feeling alert and especially productive or creative late at night
- Busy brains: trouble slowing down or turning off your thoughts
- Bedtime procrastination: staying awake to enjoy some “me time” after keeping it together all day
- Mindless stimulation: without the distractions of the day, playing video games or scrolling on your phone can go on for hours
- Struggle with routines: sticking to a bedtime routine can feel like another burdensome task on your to-do list
Unfortunately, lack of sleep can make ADHD symptoms worse. Poor sleep directly impacts executive functioning including focus, memory, emotion regulation, and impulse control.
Fortunately, there’s something you can do about it.
ADHD-informed CBT-I
Sleep Support for the ADHD Brain
ADHD-informed CBT-I targets the underlying biological and behavioral patterns unique to your brain by providing a structured framework to regulate your internal clock without the burden of an intensive new routine.
CBT-I is a structured, behavioral "toolkit" designed to:
- End "Revenge Bedtime Procrastination."
- Down-shift racing thoughts or an alert body.
- Retrain your system without adding more burdensome routines.
- Improve sleep even if you take stimulants.
- Build a sustainable sleep schedule that integrates into your existing life
How it works:
1. Baseline: We track your current patterns (not perfectly, don’t worry!).
2. Reset: We use specific behavioral "triggers" that tell your brain when it’s time to go to bed and when it’s time to get up.
3. Quiet: We learn what your mind and body need to lower the volume on anxiety or restlessness.
4. Protect: We build a custom maintenance plan to handle future "off" nights
Evidence-Based Benefits and Results
Research shows that CBT-I is effective for adults with ADHD and improves sleep quality and decreases insomnia severity. Sleeping better has been linked to reduced hyperactivity, better management of ADHD-related stress, and improvements in daily functioning.
References
Coogan AN, & McGowan NM (2017). A systematic review of circadian function, chronotype and chronotherapy in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Atten Defic Hyperact Disord, 9, 129–147.
Jernelöv S, Larsson Y, Llenas M, Nasri B, Kaldo V. Effects and clinical feasibility of a behavioral treatment for sleep problems in adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): a pragmatic within-group pilot evaluation. BMC Psychiatry. 2019 Jul 24;19(1):226. doi: 10.1186/s12888-019-2216-2. PMID: 31340804; PMCID: PMC6657040.
Email to learn more: help@sleeppsychologycalifornia.com
Come say hi!
