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Post Disclaimer
The information on this website is designed to offer self-care tips and recommendations based on evidence-based research and literature from professionals in each field. It is not intended to diagnose or treat any specific medical condition. Please consult with your healthcare provider before making any health-related decisions.
Data collected on the sleep of those living in the U.S. tells us that one in five adults is not getting enough sleep each night. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, an adult should achieve seven or more hours of sleep each night. In some cases, this lack of sleep is due to sleep apnea; in other cases, it’s due to insomnia. There is an urgent need to improve our nation’s sleep quality. The lack of sleep impacts several areas of mental and physical wellness.
An intervention that anyone can begin to apply through a self-care approach that’s proven to increase sleep quality and duration is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I). The American College of Physicians recommends CBT-I as the best intervention for treating insomnia.
What is CBT-i?
CBT-i consists of education on sleep hygiene and focuses on the thoughts and behaviors that influence insomnia. The purpose of CBT-I is to address the factors that contribute to insomnia. These factors include thoughts and behaviors that hinder the neurophysiology of sleep, such as when we consume caffeine, the inability to regulate negative emotions, or our beliefs about sleep.
The cognitive element of CBT-I works to change your thoughts about sleep. It focuses on the thoughts that influence emotions such as worry, anger, motivation, or frustration. For example, “I will never be able to improve my sleep” or “It’s impossible to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.”
The behavioral element of CBT-I works to change the behaviors that are influencing insomnia. For example, ceasing the consumption of caffeine six hours before bed. Or relaxing and winding down two hours before bed.
Self-directed CBT-i Through a Mobile Application
In the past, you would have had to see a mental health therapist trained in CBT-I to receive this treatment. However, CBT-I has become easy for anyone to apply themselves and improve their sleep. Research into self-guided CBT-I online or through mobile applications has been shown to improve sleep in those suffering from insomnia.
CBT-i Coach
If you search your app store, you will find various mobile apps that guide you through CBT-I. Of all these apps, the one that I have found to be the most accessible, user-friendly, and effective is the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs CBT-i Coach. The CBT-i Coach was developed to augment in-person therapy but can be used independently.
CBT-i coach empowers a modification of thoughts and behaviors that influence insomnia. It has a sleep diary that allows you to track your sleep progress and observe sleep improvement as you implement the behavioral changes it guides. If you have an iPhone, one feature that I really like is that you can link your sleep diary to the Apple Health app. If you use an Oura Ring, Fitbit, or Garmin to track your sleep and have these devices linked to your Apple health, your sleep data will auto-populate for you.
The CBT-i app is available on iOS and Google Play; for a tutorial on how the CBT-i app functions, check out the video at this link.
