How CBT can help with Sleep Problems

At the CBT-Partnership, Lynne van Bilsen, specialises in the treatment of sleep problems. Treatment focuses on helping clients to recognise the features in their own lives, which exacerbate their insomnia. These can include anxious thinking patterns, poor bedtime routines and day-to-day habits. The therapist and client then work together to identify ways to modify these factors and build behaviours, which are more likely to result in a good night’s sleep.

A Case Study: Emily

Emily is a successful banker, she is happy in her marriage. The ‘credit crunch’ resulted in a number of months of hard work with long hours and lost of stress. Life has returned to almost normal, but Emily has noticed that her normal good sleep has not returned. She finds it difficult to fall asleep and wakes up regularly and can’t go back to sleep. She took part in the sleep programme, which helped quite a bit but needed a few more sessions of individual coaching to learn how to go back to her healthy sleep pattern.