CBT for Insomnia: How Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Can Help You Sleep Better

Written By Marcia Brownlee, PCLC

As a counselor, I often sit across from clients who feel utterly defeated by their sleep struggles. They’ve tried melatonin, warm tea, weighted blankets, and late-night podcasts. Many arrive in my office saying something like, “I’m exhausted, but the moment my head hits the pillow, my brain turns on.” Others describe a cycle of waking up at 2:00 a.m. with a racing mind and no way back to sleep.

If this sounds familiar, you're not alone, and you’re not out of options!

Almost all adults, at one time or another, experience acute insomnia, short-term difficulty sleeping tied to specific stressful life events. As hard as these sleepless nights can be, this is a very adaptive evolutionary response. It makes no sense to sleep when you are threatened! 

Oftentimes, with acute insomnia, when the initiating stress subsides or you adapt to it, the insomnia will also be resolved and your typical sleep cycle will reassert itself. However, some people may develop a more permanent state of insomnia, also known as chronic insomnia. There are a variety of factors that contribute to this evolution, and the reality is that anyone can train their way into a state of chronic insomnia! This happens when our biological sleep cycle weakens and our brains and our bodies begin to associate sleep as a stressful event and the bed as a place where worry happens. 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is one of the most effective, evidence-based treatments for chronic insomnia. CBT-I shows that 70% of clients will positively respond to treatment, and nearly 65% of treatment responders hold on to long term sleep gains. CBT-I targets the underlying patterns that keep insomnia going. The goal isn’t just to help you fall asleep tonight, it’s to retrain your mind and body to sleep well over the long term.

What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia?

CBT-I is a structured, short-term therapy (usually about 8 sessions) that helps you understand the thoughts, behaviors, and environmental factors that interfere with your quantity and quality of sleep. It typically includes the following core components:

  • Sleep Education – There are a ton of societal misconceptions about sleep! We will explore how it really works and how it doesn’t. We will delve into the specifics of your sleep cycle, predispositions, and requirements.

  • Sleep Scheduling – This is an individualized process that help reset your biological sleep cycle and stabilize circadian rhythms. I’m not gonna lie, this part is hard work. Like most therapeutic work, it gets worse before it gets better. Short term pain, for long term gain.

  • Cognitive Exploration – Insomnia is, in many ways, a phobia of being a sleepless night and the consequences of fatigue on daytime functioning. We get caught in a loop of worry and fear and anxiety about our inability to sleep and how hard the next day will be, which triggers arousal, which triggers wakefulness, which triggers worry, fear, and anxiety. It’s a fun little cycle. We will explore your thoughts and worries around wakefulness, how it may be perpetuating your insomnia, and how we can interrupt it.

  • Conditioned Sleep Response – As with any phobia, over time, your nervous system learns to respond to certain cues (e.g., the bed, bedroom, or nighttime routine) with alertness and activation rather than relaxation and drowsiness. CBT-I can help strengthen your conditioned sleep response. So, when you look at your bed, you get sleepy!

What to Expect in Therapy

CBT-I typically lasts between 6 to 8 sessions. You will be asked to track your sleep experience, and we will adjust strategies as we go. And no, I won’t tell you to give up coffee or screens! Our work will be about making informed choices and creating conditions where your natural ability to sleep can re-emerge. Together, we can work toward quiet nights and more peaceful mornings by exploring options for real, lasting change.

References and Resources for Further Exploration

Kendall, B. (Host). (2023– ). Mind. Body. Sleep. [Audio podcast]. Beth Kendall LLC. https://www.bethkendall.com/podcast bethkendall.com

Perlis, M. L., Jungquist, C., Smith, M. T., & Posner, D. (2005). Cognitive behavioral treatment of insomnia: A session-by-session guide. Springer

Walker, M. (2017). Why we sleep: Unlocking the power of sleep and dreams. Scribner.

Marcia Brownlee, PCLC

Marcia Brownlee, PCLC, is a psychotherapist at Inner Journey Healthcare who brings warmth, clarity, and deep listening to her work. With a background in both education and conservation leadership, Marcia supports clients in navigating life transitions, trauma, and identity with compassion and care. She specializes in somatic and relational approaches, helping individuals reconnect with their inner resilience and sense of belonging.

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