Sleep disorders
Chronic insomnia
This is where CBT-I has the strongest evidence base internationally — and exactly where medication on its own delivers the least.
What it is
Chronic insomnia affects 8–10% of the population. It differs from acute insomnia not only in duration but in mechanism: it is no longer sustained by whatever started it.
Whatever triggered it — a pressure, a loss, a period of anxiety — has usually passed. What remains are the compensating behaviours: going to bed earlier, staying there awake, daytime naps, caffeine, clock-watching.
Each of these is an entirely reasonable response. And each one feeds the problem. This is how insomnia becomes self-sustaining.
How it shows up
- Sleep difficulty at least 3 nights a week, for more than 3 months
- Fatigue that does not lift with rest
- Difficulty with concentration and memory
- Irritability and mood swings
- An expectation of failure: «I know I won't sleep»
- Organising the whole day around sleep
How it is treated
- 01
The full CBT-I protocol, 4 to 8 weekly sessions, with a sleep diary and weekly reassessment.
- 02
Sleep restriction and stimulus control at the core — the two most powerful components.
- 03
Cognitive restructuring of beliefs about sleep, plus arousal-reduction techniques.
- 04
A relapse-prevention plan, so that one bad week does not become a chronic problem again. This is what makes the results last after the sessions end.
Let's find out whether this is what is happening to you.