What is CBT-i?
Ask the doctor
- Reviewed by Robert H. Shmerling, MD, Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
I’ve dealt with increasing insomnia over the past several months, and a friend told me about a type of therapy that could help. How does it work?For people in this group — and it sounds like you’re among them — cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-i) can be highly effective. CBT-i explores how people’s sleep relates to the ways they think and the things they do. Often administered by a doctor, therapist, or another trained clinician, CBT-i typically consists of 30-to 60-minute weekly sessions for six to eight weeks. Treatment includes cognitive restructuring, which identifies and challenges thoughts about sleep that make it more difficult; stimulus control, which eradicates bedroom activities other than sleep and sex; sleep restriction, which limits time spent in bed to increase the drive to sleep; and relaxation training.
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About the Reviewer
Robert H. Shmerling, MD, Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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