Many people with insomnia feel exhausted but still cannot sleep. Learn why fatigue alone does not guarantee sleep, how hyperarousal and sleep anxiety can interfere with rest, and how CBT-I helps address the factors that maintain chronic insomnia.

Many people begin CBT-I while taking sleep medication, melatonin, or other sleep aids. Learn how CBT-I and sleep medication can work together and why treatment doesn’t usually require stopping medication immediately.

Does CBT-I really work? Learn what the research says about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia, why it’s considered the first-line treatment for chronic insomnia, and what you can realistically expect.

CBT-I (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia) is the gold-standard treatment for chronic insomnia. Rather than creating temporary sleep, CBT-I helps address the behaviors and patterns that keep insomnia going over time.

When people have been struggling with insomnia for weeks, months, or years, sleep medication can understandably feel appealing. Many people are exhausted, frustrated, anxious about sleep, and desperate for relief.

Sleep medications can sometimes be helpful, particularly in the short term. Some people find that medication temporarily reduces nighttime anxiety or helps them fall asleep more quickly.

However, chronic insomnia is often maintained by more than the absence of sleep itself.