Recently, Dr. Martin Hsia, CBT SoCal's Assistant Director, lectured on "Behavioral Approaches to Treating Insomnia" for Family Medicine Residents at Northridge Hospital. Highlights included an overview of the research on the importance of sleep, statistics on the incidence of insomnia in the U.S., and an introduction to the key components of ... Continue Reading
CBTi: Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Insomnia
Up to 30% of U.S. adults have insomnia The authors note that, in the U.S., up to 30% of the adult population suffers from insomnia and that insomnia is associated with significant physical and mental health problems. If someone has insomnia, the probability of their also having problems with the diabetes precursor "metabolic syndrome" and ... Continue Reading
CBT for Insomnia works! (Even for complicated cases)
CBT-I can help insomnia. CBT-I can be helpful for insomnia even if the person suffers from anxiety, depression, or medical problems. There is ample evidence that CBT-I is very effective with primary insomnia, that is, people who have sleep difficulties without having significant other problems. Now new research suggests that CBT is effective ... Continue Reading
Taking the Mystery Out of Exposure Therapy
Psychologists are often asked: "Why do you use exposure therapy? It sounds torturous to ask me to face what I've feared and avoided for so long! Isn't there an easier way to have the fear go away?" Exposure therapy is a name for one of the most powerful techniques in Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). Exposure is the systematic, planned encounter ... Continue Reading
Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Insomnia: Um, What Exactly is CBT-I?
Research has shown that sleep problems are epidemic. However, there is exciting research on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (also known as CBT-I) showing that CBT-I is effective for both sleep problems and for the treatment and prevention of depression. What, then, is CBT-I? Cognitive Behavioral Therapy of Insomnia (CBT-I) is a structured ... Continue Reading
CBT-I: Are Sleep Problems Epidemic?
Everyone has experienced insomnia at one time or another. You may have suffered a difficult night sleeping from time to time, for example, when you’re undergoing something stressful, are sleeping in an unfamiliar bed, traveling to other time zones, or just don’t feel well. Each of us has lain awake wishing we could fall asleep. This is just a ... Continue Reading