How does cognitive behavioral therapy work?
Cognitive behavioral therapy helps you change the thoughts and actions that interfere with your ability to get restful sleep. The approach is based on the idea that how you think (cognition) and act (behavior) affects the way you feel. The cognitive portion of CBT teaches you to recognize and change false beliefs that affect your ability to sleep. For example, you may believe that you must get eight hours of sleep every night to function. In fact, seven hours of sleep may be adequate for you. Cognitive therapy also deals with misperceptions about the amount of time you actually spend sleeping. People with insomnia often sleep more than they realize. The behavioral portion of CBT helps reprogram the part of your brain that governs the sleep-wake cycle. It targets specific behaviors — what sleep experts call “sleep hygiene” — that negatively affect your sleep. Such behaviors include failing to exercise or drinking beverages that contain caffeine just before bedtime. When used as an insom
