What Is Sleep Therapy?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypes of Sleep TherapyTechniquesWhat Sleep Therapy Can Help WithBenefits of Sleep TherapyEffectivenessThings to ConsiderHow to Get Started

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Types of Sleep Therapy

Techniques

What Sleep Therapy Can Help With

Benefits of Sleep Therapy

Effectiveness

Things to Consider

How to Get Started

Close

Not sleeping wellcan leave you tired, irritable, and unable to concentrate. It can affect your performance at school or work, take a toll on your relationships, and affect your health and safety.

One in three people in the U.S. don’t get enough uninterrupted sleep, and approximately 50 to 70 million of those people have asleep disorder.

Sleep therapy is a form of therapy designed to improve the quality of your sleep. It can help with sleep disorders likeinsomnia, and may also help with other mental and physical health conditions.

“When it comes to sleep issues, there is usually a question of origin: Is a sleep disorder causing mental health symptoms or is your mental health affecting your sleep?" saysSabrina Romanoff, PsyD, a professor and clinical psychologist in New York City. “Some common disorders that implicate sleep includedepression,anxiety,bipolar disorder,substance abuse,OCD, andPTSD,”

“The most commonly utilized and studied type of therapy for insomnia iscognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). CBT-I is the gold standard of evidence-based treatment for sleep problems,” says Romanoff.

CBT-I is a form ofcognitive behavioral therapythat can help you recognize and replace unhealthy sleep-related thoughts andbehaviorswith healthier habits and attitudes. “CBT-I aims to incorporate effectual sleep habits and behaviors, and in turn minimize ineffective behaviors,” says Romanoff.

This means that CBT-I helps you, for example, stop doomscrolling before bed and instead develop better sleep hygiene, like putting your phone away an hour before you go to sleep.

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Romanoff outlines some of the techniques sleep therapists may use below.

Sleep Hygiene

Improving yoursleep hygieneinvolves building healthy sleep-related habits and routines. This means changing basic lifestyle tendencies that influence sleep, such as limiting alcohol, caffeine, and smoking, and increasing exercise.

Good sleep hygiene also focuses on creating a consistentsleep-wake schedule, where it is recommended you go to bed and get up at the same times every day in order to make it easier to fall asleep at night and wake up in the morning.

Sleep Environment Optimization

Your therapist may recommend altering aspects of your sleep environment so that it is comfortable and conducive to unbroken sleep. For instance, keeping your room quiet, dark, and cool and hiding any clocks may help.

Stimulus Control

Stimulus control involves removing cues that condition your mind to resist sleep.

For example, you may often lie in your bed and watch entertaining shows, which can cause you to associate your bed with excitement. Stimulus control encourages you to commit to a consistent bedtime and use your bed only for sleep. Your therapist may instruct you to leave the bedroom if you are unable to sleep within 20 minutes, and return only when you feel drowsy.

Paradoxical Intention

CBT-I utilizes a technique called paradoxical intention, which requires you to commit to staying awake when you are lying in bed. This works as a sort of reverse psychology because you’re not worrying about not being able to sleep. Letting go of your resistance and anxiety can often make it easier to sleep.

Sleep therapy may be helpful in the overall management of several conditions, including:

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These are some of the benefits of sleep therapy:

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“CBT-I is widely researched in both efficacy (clinical, laboratory settings) as well as effectiveness (real-world settings),” says Romanoff.

A 2011 study found that CBT-I improved:

A 2019 study found that a brief CBT-I program helped improve sleep and mood in patients with insomnia and depression.

“CBT-I requires consistent application and practice,” explains Romanoff. “Some of the approaches of CBT-I, such as paradoxical intention and stimulus control, may actually cause you to lose sleep in the short-term. However, with consistency and commitment to the work, you are likely to notice enduring outcomes.”

It’s important to commit to the process and be patient. Expecting immediate results can cause you to get frustrated and give up.

Before you start therapy, or at your initial visit, you can expect to fill out multiple forms and questionnaires, as sleep therapists usually employ a robust assessment process to determine the causes of your sleeplessness.

Get Help NowWe’ve tried, tested, and written unbiased reviews of thebest online therapy programsincluding Talkspace, BetterHelp, and ReGain. Find out which option is the best for you.

Get Help Now

We’ve tried, tested, and written unbiased reviews of thebest online therapy programsincluding Talkspace, BetterHelp, and ReGain. Find out which option is the best for you.

A Word From Verywell

Sleep is an essential function that is interconnected with several other mental and physical health conditions. If you’re having trouble sleeping, a specialized form of therapy known as CBT-I can help improve the quality of your sleep. Getting a good night’s sleep can make a remarkable difference to your mood, productivity, and overall well-being.

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4 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.).Sleep health. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/education-and-awareness/sleep-health#:~:text=About%2050%20to%2070%20million,need%20to%20protect%20their%20health.Manber R, Bernert RA, Suh S, Nowakowski S, Siebern AT, Ong JC.CBT for insomnia in patients with high and low depressive symptom severity: adherence and clinical outcomes.J Clin Sleep Med. 2011;7(6):645-652. doi:10.5664/jcsm.1472Pigeon WR, Funderburk JS, Cross W, Bishop TM, Crean HF.Brief CBT for insomnia delivered in primary care to patients endorsing suicidal ideation: a proof-of-concept randomized clinical trial.Transl Behav Med. 2019;9(6):1169-1177. doi:10.1093/tbm/ibz108Sleep Education.Cognitive behavioral therapy.Additional ReadingCleveland Clinic.Common sleep disorders: symptoms, causes, and treatment.Cleveland Clinic.Insomnia: causes, risks & treatments.

4 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.).Sleep health. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/education-and-awareness/sleep-health#:~:text=About%2050%20to%2070%20million,need%20to%20protect%20their%20health.Manber R, Bernert RA, Suh S, Nowakowski S, Siebern AT, Ong JC.CBT for insomnia in patients with high and low depressive symptom severity: adherence and clinical outcomes.J Clin Sleep Med. 2011;7(6):645-652. doi:10.5664/jcsm.1472Pigeon WR, Funderburk JS, Cross W, Bishop TM, Crean HF.Brief CBT for insomnia delivered in primary care to patients endorsing suicidal ideation: a proof-of-concept randomized clinical trial.Transl Behav Med. 2019;9(6):1169-1177. doi:10.1093/tbm/ibz108Sleep Education.Cognitive behavioral therapy.Additional ReadingCleveland Clinic.Common sleep disorders: symptoms, causes, and treatment.Cleveland Clinic.Insomnia: causes, risks & treatments.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.).Sleep health. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/education-and-awareness/sleep-health#:~:text=About%2050%20to%2070%20million,need%20to%20protect%20their%20health.Manber R, Bernert RA, Suh S, Nowakowski S, Siebern AT, Ong JC.CBT for insomnia in patients with high and low depressive symptom severity: adherence and clinical outcomes.J Clin Sleep Med. 2011;7(6):645-652. doi:10.5664/jcsm.1472Pigeon WR, Funderburk JS, Cross W, Bishop TM, Crean HF.Brief CBT for insomnia delivered in primary care to patients endorsing suicidal ideation: a proof-of-concept randomized clinical trial.Transl Behav Med. 2019;9(6):1169-1177. doi:10.1093/tbm/ibz108Sleep Education.Cognitive behavioral therapy.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.).Sleep health. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/education-and-awareness/sleep-health#:~:text=About%2050%20to%2070%20million,need%20to%20protect%20their%20health.

Manber R, Bernert RA, Suh S, Nowakowski S, Siebern AT, Ong JC.CBT for insomnia in patients with high and low depressive symptom severity: adherence and clinical outcomes.J Clin Sleep Med. 2011;7(6):645-652. doi:10.5664/jcsm.1472

Pigeon WR, Funderburk JS, Cross W, Bishop TM, Crean HF.Brief CBT for insomnia delivered in primary care to patients endorsing suicidal ideation: a proof-of-concept randomized clinical trial.Transl Behav Med. 2019;9(6):1169-1177. doi:10.1093/tbm/ibz108

Sleep Education.Cognitive behavioral therapy.

Cleveland Clinic.Common sleep disorders: symptoms, causes, and treatment.Cleveland Clinic.Insomnia: causes, risks & treatments.

Cleveland Clinic.Common sleep disorders: symptoms, causes, and treatment.

Cleveland Clinic.Insomnia: causes, risks & treatments.

Hannah Owens, LMSW

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