About 25 million Americans have insomnia, and up to half of the population experiences some sleep disturbances. One proven way to improve insomnia is the CBT-I protocol – Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia. Read how it works and how you can use it to improve your sleep.

The protocol includes several components:

• Cognitive restructuring.

• Stimulus control.

• Sleep restriction and compression.

• Relaxation.

Cognitive Restructuring

In simple terms, cognitive restructuring helps identify and reframe unhelpful thoughts. Here are a few examples:

Take a pen and paper. What intrusive thoughts about sleep make you feel worse? Write them down and challenge them with more balanced alternatives. Find more examples on pages 9-13 here.

Tip: Unhelpful thoughts often sound extreme. Watch for words like never, always, must, or have to.

Stimulus Control

The goal of the stimulus control technique is to use the bed and bedroom only for sleep and sex. That means no TV, no scrolling, and no eating in bed.

If you can’t fall asleep after about 10 minutes, get out of bed. Your brain needs to learn to associate the bed with sleep, not wakefulness.

Tip: Trying too hard to fall asleep can backfire. Instead, try allowing yourself to stay awake. This often reduces pressure and helps sleep come naturally.

Sleep Restriction and Compression

Start by tracking how much time you spend in bed and how much you actually sleep. You can use a sleep diary, an app, or a fitness tracker.

For sleep restriction, reduce time in bed to your actual sleep time plus 30 minutes. For example, if you spend nine hours in bed but only sleep five, limit your time in bed to five and a half hours, regardless of whether you sleep or not.

Sleep compression is a gradual version of this approach. You slowly reduce time in bed until it matches your actual sleep time.

In both methods, once most of your time in bed is spent sleeping, you can gradually increase it.

Tip: Avoid checking the clock while trying to fall asleep. It can increase anxiety and trigger unhelpful thoughts.

Relaxation

Not every relaxation method will work for you. Choose what fits best. Options include:

• Breathing exercises.

• Progressive muscle relaxation.

• Meditation.

• Yoga.

• Tai chi.

Talk to Your Doctor

Not every approach in this article will suit everyone. Talking to your doctor about sleep disturbances can help tailor treatment to your needs.

Sleep problems are also common in people with depression and bipolar disorder. Getting an accurate diagnosis is the first step toward effective treatment.

With care,

Science Sources:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I): An Overview

• Cognitive Restructuring and Sleep Medication Reduction Techniques 

• NHS: Keeping a sleep diary

• Wake Up America: National Survey of Patients’ and Physicians’ Views and Attitudes on Insomnia Care

Read Next:

• How to Sleep Better: Eight Golden Rules of Sleep Hygiene

• Learn Three Popular Methods of Mindful Breathing

• Test Your Mental Health