INSOMNIA TREATMENT

Insomnia Treatment in Houston, Texas 77006

Are you ready to start sleeping? Of course you are. If you’ve come to this page, then it’s probably safe to say that you’re not just experiencing the occasional sleepless night. You’re looking for help.

You’ve probably “tried it all” with no success. Maybe you’ve been struggling with sleep problems for months, or perhaps it’s been years. Maybe you’ve always had trouble sleeping. Perhaps you are relying on sleep medications or considering that as a last resort. The good news is that you may not have to. Effective behavioral (non-medication) treatment for insomnia exists!

Symptoms of Insomnia

Insomnia can be debilitating and over 60 million Americans experience problems in their sleep each year. You may be having trouble with falling asleep, multiple night wakings and being unable to return to sleep, or waking earlier than you want to.

Many of my clients have come in to my office complaining that they:

find themselves trying to compensate for lack of sleep by sleeping in, taking daytime naps, skipping out on evening activities because they are too tired or worried it’s going to interfere with your sleep.
have given up on exercise routines because they are too tired.
have a hard time focusing and concentrating, feel irritable with others or feel more sad, tearful and anxious.
frequently experience anxious thoughts about how they will sleep at night or anxious thoughts about the negative impacts of insomnia on their health.
experience a drop in productivity at work or even stay home from work/school or cancel professional obligations.
feel so tired that they believe they are unsafe to drive
fall asleep at inopportune times like during meetings, classes, or while watching tv (although some people can’t even nap if they wanted to).
frequently take sleep aids and feel like they can’t sleep well without them.

If your sleep problems are costing you any of the above, it’s time to seek professional support.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia can provide the path to help you get the sleep you desire.

Houston Center for Valued Living’s Approach to Treating Insomnia

We use what is called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), a behavioral and psychological treatment for sleep. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia is a safe and effective treatment for chronic insomnia. It has been shown to be effective in numerous clinical trials and involves no medications. It’s the gold standard for behavioral interventions for insomnia. Many people who participate in CBT-I can reduce or completely eliminate their use of sleeping medications.

What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia? (CBT-I)

CBTI-I combines both cognitive strategies (identifying unhelpful/maladaptive thinking patterns that may be contributing to your insomnia) and behavioral strategies such as making adjustments to your daytime behavior, evening behavior, bedtimes, rise times, and activities while awake at night. We also incorporate Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to increase willingness to engage in treatment, promote mindfulness (present-moment focus) strategies to help clients with their anxious thoughts and tolerance for distress, relaxation techniques, and exercises to foster self-compassion. For more information about CBT-I, please read below our frequently asked questions about CBT-I.

Begin Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia

You don’t have to continue to suffer the anguish of broken sleep or sleepless nights. You don’t have to let your constant thinking about your sleep continue to interfere with the quality of your life. If you’re ready to take control of your insomnia.

Click here to begin therapy for insomnia now

Frequently asked questions about CBT-I

What does Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia involve?

I ask clients to commit to approximately 5 individual sessions. You may need more or less depending on your tolerance for the treatment and your desire for support along the way.

Our first session will be an initial assessment. We will discuss your history of sleep problems and also do a brief psychological assessment to rule out any other conditions that may be interfering with your sleep.

I may ask you to start filling out a sleep log prior to our first appointment, or this may be presented at your first appointment. The sleep log is a way for you to begin tracking your sleep so that we have an accurate representation of the problems you are experiencing with your sleep and the total amount of sleep you are getting each night.

Our second session usually occurs after you have completed 2 weeks of your sleep log. We will review the data and discuss which sleep plan is right for you based on your sleep log and your individual preferences and we will develop an individualized treatment plan.

We typically meet weekly for the first few weeks as you begin to implement the treatment plan. Our sessions involve cognitive strategies and ACT (acceptance and commitment therapy) strategies to help you stay the course of treatment. We problem solve any difficulties that you are experiencing along the way.

Once you feel comfortable in your treatment plan, we may go a few weeks without meeting. If you find you are running into any problems, we can meet again for a session in person or via video/phone.

How fast does Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia work? When will I see improvements in my sleep?

This depends. Significant improvements can be made in as little as 2-5 weeks, but may take up to 8 to 12 weeks, depending on whether or not you are weaning off of medication and how closely you follow the program. Treatment begins after an initial 2 weeks of sleep monitoring (in which you record your nightly sleep) to determine the best treatment plan for you.

I’ve already tried sleep hygiene (limiting my caffeine, not watching tv before bed, setting a bedtime routine) and it didn’t help. How is this different?

It’s awesome that you have already tried some sleep hygiene techniques, and these will be important strategies for boosting your efforts during treatment. CBTI-I involves either time in bed restriction or stimulus control, which are specific behavioral plans related to your sleep (how many hours in bed you spend each night, how long you stay in bed awake before getting out of bed, etc).

Additionally, specific cognitive techniques (working on unhelpful thoughts, relieving anxiety) as well as mindfulness and acceptance techniques are employed to provide a comprehensive treatment package to increase your likelihood for success.

I take sleep aids like sleeping pills, marijuana etc. Do I have to stop taking these sleep aids to do CBT-I?

It depends! Many people start treatment for their insomnia while working at cutting down their sleep aids. There is not a one-size-fits all approach to this. Depending on how long you have been taking your medications, the frequency in which you take them, and the dosage you are on, you may choose to slowly wean yourself off your sleep aids while engaging in CBT-I or choose to work toward stopping your use of sleep aids before you begin treatment.

If you have been relying on sleep medication for quite some time, it is likely that you will experience “rebound insomnia” when reducing your dosage. Rebound insomnia is a worsening of your insomnia symptoms, which can sometimes be even worse than before you started your sleep aids. It can make you think you’ll never sleep again or that treatment isn’t working. However, rebound insomnia is not permanent.

Some people choose to wean themselves off of their sleep aids before starting CBTI-I so that they do not run the risk of rebound insomnia during the course of treatment. Additionally, coming off of sleep aids before starting CBT-I means that we will be treating your sleep as it is, rather than as it is with the effects of aid. It will be important that you discuss with your prescribing physician the safest and best way to reduce/stop taking your medication before beginning any sleep program.

Some people choose to begin CBT-I before going off of their sleep aids. This approach works well for people who are coming off of their medication slowly and do not want to wait months to begin treatment. Starting CBT-I while weaning off of medication is also helpful for individuals who want support and tools to use while doing this.

We will discuss in your initial assessment any sleep aids you are using and which plan might be best for you.

I’m struggling with depression, anxiety, or other mood problems. How can targeting only my sleep help?

What we know is that when we improve people’s sleep, often their mood symptoms show improvement as well because sleep and mood are closely related. Although you may need additional treatment for your mood symptoms, first fixing your problems with chronic insomnia may provide significant relief and better outcomes in your treatment for depression/anxiety.

Will Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia help me if I have sleep apnea or if I am using a CPAP machine?

Yes, but only if your sleep apnea is adequately treated. If you are on a CPAP machine (continuous positive airway pressure machine) and your doctor has told you that your sleep apnea is responding to treatment but you still have insomnia, you can benefit from CBT-I. Many individuals have insomnia that may have been initially caused by years of sleep disordered breathing. However, after receiving treatment, they still have lingering insomnia. CBT-I can address these issues.

Should I see a doctor before starting Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia?

We always advise clients to obtain a thorough physical examination from their physician to eliminate the possibility that their insomnia may be due to an underlying medical condition. Insomnia cannot be adequately resolved if underlying medical conditions that are contributing to the sleep disturbance are left untreated. Common medical conditions that can lead to insomnia include:

Nasal/sinus allergies
Gastrointestinal problems such as reflux
Endocrine problems such as hyperthyroidism
Arthritis
Asthma
Neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease
Chronic pain or low back pain
Sleep Apnea (Obstructive or Central)
Restless Leg Syndrome
Periodic Limb Movement Disorder

Do I need a sleep study?

Maybe. CBT-I is meant to treat insomnia. Many people believe they have insomnia, but instead they have medical conditions such as sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome (RLS), or periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) that are causing their sleep problems. These conditions require assessment and treatment by a physician.

If you think you may have one of these conditions, we strongly advise you to consult with a doctor who is board certified in sleep medicine. After successful treatment of these conditions, you may find that you still have insomnia. If that’s the case, CBT-I may be a great option with you in conjunction with your medical treatment. Many clients begin attending CBT-I under the recommendation of their sleep medicine physician after receiving proper treatment for sleep apnea or ruling out sleep apnea or other sleep/wake disorders.

Other Counesling Services at Houston Center for Valued Living

As a Houston based counseling clinic, our caring therapists also offer therapy for

We also offer tips for improving your overall mental health on our blog.

Send an email to: info@hcfvl.com to learn more about how Houston Center for Valued Living can help you take the next step toward creating your best life.

If you’re ready to get started today, choose one of our awesome therapists and schedule your appointment now by phone, e-mail, or our online scheduling system.

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INSOMNIA TREATMENT