Understanding sleep
What Is Insomnia?
Insomnia involves ongoing difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or returning to sleep, along with meaningful effects during the day
More than an occasional poor night
Most adults sleep poorly from time to time. Insomnia becomes a clinical concern when sleep difficulty persists despite having an adequate opportunity for sleep and begins to affect daytime functioning, mood, concentration, energy, or quality of life.
Why insomnia can continue
Insomnia may begin during stress, illness, a schedule change, or another disruption. Even after the original trigger improves, understandable efforts to recover sleep can unintentionally keep the problem going. Spending excessive time in bed, varying sleep schedules, monitoring for sleep, and worrying about the consequences of poor sleep can all strengthen the cycle.
How a sleep psychologist can help
A sleep psychologist assesses the pattern of the sleep difficulty, contributing medical or psychological factors, and the behaviors and beliefs that may perpetuate it. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia, or CBT-I, uses individualized strategies to rebuild more consistent and restorative sleep.
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