Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT for insomnia, or CBT-i) is the gold-standard treatment for insomnia and also the first-line treatment to sought for, before considering the need for sleep supplements or medication.
When compared to sleep medication head-to-head, numerous longitudinal studies have shown that CBT-i is more effective in treating insomnia, with more long-term sustainable results and without any of side effects one would experience from taking sleeping pills or melatonin.
Clinical improvements of at least a 50% change in baseline measures of insomnia were observed in 75% of insomnia patients using CBT-i, with progress maintained or enhanced at follow-up several years after.
The problem though, is that the vast majority of our population do not have access to CBT-i and there are very few trained CBT-i specialists in our traditional healthcare system. Sleep clinics and health screening often focus on medical sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, and there are little resources towards identifying and treating insomnia.
If you are struggling with long-term sleep problems, or you are hoping to get professional help in tapering off your sleeping pills, I am here to help.
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Hi I’m Lydia, certified sleep therapist and trained specialist in CBT for insomnia. Follow me on IG @thesleepcode.hk or visit the-sleep-code.com for more sleep resources.
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The Sleep Code | Sleep Specialist in Hong Kong 