Treatment for Sleep Difficulties

Do you frequently have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, feeling unrefreshed in the mornings, or all of the above? Have you tried over-the-counter supplements and medications, or even prescribed medications, and found no relief? Or, did medications that used to work no longer help? You may benefit from evaluation by a psychologist, such as myself, who is trained to assess, diagnose, and treat insomnia and other sleep-related difficulties. 

 

I have rigorously trained in cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). CBT-I has been identified by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and American College of Physicians to be the gold standard, first-line of treatment for insomnia. In other words, studies have repeatedly shown that it works. Yet there is need to spread awareness. While CBT-I seems to be little known by general providers and the general public, sleep specialists are well aware of this treatment! I am often referred clients in collaboration with various sleep physicians.

 

What does CBT-I involve? 

+ Education about sleep: sleep biology, what factors influence our sleep, and how it applies to you

+ Behavioral therapy, often involving sleep restriction therapy and stimulus control treatment

+ Cognitive (thoughts) therapy, often aimed at shifting maladaptive beliefs about sleep, anxiety and stress related to sleep

+ Relaxation Training

+ Sleep hygiene

​

Depending on what type of sleep difficulty you are having, you may be eligible for a full course of CBT-I or you may benefit from select components of it customized to address your needs.

 

Sleep treatment with me often involves several steps:

1. A specialized intake evaluation focused on sleep and sleep-related difficulties, as well as an assessment of psychosocial and environmental factors that may be influencing your sleep. 

2. A follow-up session where I will provide you with feedback (diagnosis and my assessment of what contributes to your sleep difficulty) and an overview of my recommended treatment course. If you are a candidate for CBT-I, either the full course or components of it, I will likely recommend you pursue treatment with me. Note I am not a prescriber. If I believe you will benefit from consultation with a sleep physician, I will provide you this feedback along with referrals when possible.

3. Core treatment stage, involving either a full course of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) or components of it. To be effective, I strongly emphasize weekly sessions throughout the core treatment phase given the level of behavioral and cognitive changes we work towards.

4. Maintenance sessions, during which we will taper session frequency to maintain improvements, while also working towards optimizing sleep quality and sleep duration. 

 

Contact me for an initial 15 minute consultation to discuss whether you may be a good match for this treatment.