All Course Options Qualify for HSA Use
Our Most Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if I have Insomnia?
Many individuals struggle with sleep and at different levels. There are four main levels:
- No clinically significant insomnia
- Subthreshold insomnia
- Clinical insomnia (moderate severity)
- Clinical insomnia (severe)
The Insomnia Severity Index seen below has seven questions. The seven answers are added up to get a total score. When you have your total score, look at the ‘Guidelines for Scoring/Interpretation’ below to see where your sleep difficulty fits.
Insomnia Severity Index
What medical conditions could affect my sleep?
There are many medical conditions that can cause difficulty sleeping. This includes but is not limited to sleep apnea, asthma, gastroesophageal reflux (heartburn), respiratory problems, prostate problems, diabetes, chronic pain, night time fevers or sweats just to name a few.
What is the course about?
This course is about helping people suffering from insomnia learn new thought processes using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia(CBT-I) which is a specific type of CBT that focuses on helping you change thoughts and behaviors that contribute to insomnia. The goal is to help you start sleeping better.
What is the process of the course?
This course consists of 10 video modules that are each about 10 minutes long. They are:
- Insomnia
- Sleep Facts and Myths
- Sleep Medications
- Sleep Diary
- Cognitive Restructuring
- Sleep Restriction Therapy
- Stimulus Control
- Sleep Hygiene
- Learned Relaxation
- Preventing Relapse
The first 4 videos lay the groundwork for the core CBT-I modules and can be viewed all in one sitting or over separate sessions. The core modules(videos 5-9) are better viewed individually 1 week apart for Modules 5-7 and 2 weeks apart for modules 8 and 9. The reason is to allow you to assimilate the information and begin to practice it before moving on to the next module. You will use a sleep diary to log your sleep patterns. A sleep diary is the main tool of the course. You can download the diary and use it online or print it to have a hard copy. You’ll need one page for each week of the course so you can monitor your progress. The last video on preventing relapse reinforces what you’ve learned plus includes common mistakes that people make that keep them from making progress. Though it is the last video it may be worth looking at before you start the core modules to be aware of some of the pitfalls you can avoid.
After each video there are questions you can answer to help you better understand what you’ve just learned. The questions are not meant to be hard; they are designed for your own introspection and application. The answers vary from person to person; there’s no right or wrong answers. You will not be tested on your answers but you may find writing them down to be helpful to review with your thought log.
What can I expect from the course?
CBT-I is the most effective behavioral therapy for any disease process. This is in part because there are a finite number of thoughts and behaviors that contribute to insomnia and CBT-I effectively addresses those to help a person sleep better. About 80% of people who do CBT-I will sleep better. People who don’t get better usually have other issues that may interfere with their ability to make the necessary changes. For example any one with an addiction will likely need to address that before doing CBT-I. Someone with untreated bipolar disorder may also find it difficult to participate. For those on sleep medications about 80% will be able to get off of them completely or reduce the dose they are taking. It is important to note that CBT-I is not a quick fix. It will take at least 1-2 weeks to see improvement and it may take 1-2 months to reach the goal of having a good night sleep most if not all nights. This assumes that the person is committed to follow the program’s recommendations which at time’s can be challenging because it is uncomfortable for anyone to make changes. You should only buy this course if you feel like you can commit to making the necessary changes to help you sleep better. If you do, you’ll find that your life’s quality will improve as you will sleep better.
Should I stop taking my sleep medications before I start CBT-I?
No, wait until you’ve at least watched up to module 5 on Cognitive restructuring, and then you can start to wean down on your medications as outlined on the Sleep Medication Video.
How effective is CBT-I in helping people sleep better?
CBT-I helps about 70-80% of the people who practice it. It may take up to 2-4 weeks to really begin to see the effects depending on how well a person follows the guidelines and how bad their insomnia is.
What is the difference between CBT and CBT-I?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) deals with mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, whilst CBT-I is specific for insomnia.
How many people relapse after CBT?
On average, 23.8% of patients experienced relapse following completion of CBT.
The course includes some simple pointers for preventing relapse.
The course includes some simple pointers for preventing relapse.
What are the disadvantages of CBT?
It may not be suitable for people with more complex mental health needs or
learning difficulties. It involves confronting your emotions and anxieties – you
may experience initial periods where you’re anxious or emotionally uncomfortable.
learning difficulties. It involves confronting your emotions and anxieties – you
may experience initial periods where you’re anxious or emotionally uncomfortable.
What happens if sleep restriction doesn't work?
It is possible that SRT won’t work for you, but before you give up, give it more
time. Stick to your schedule.
time. Stick to your schedule.
What are the 3 levels of CBT?
There are three levels of cognition:
- Conscious thoughts: Rational thoughts and choices that are made with full
awareness. - Automatic thoughts: Thoughts that flow rapidly, so that you may not be fully aware of them.
- Schemas: Core beliefs and personal rules for processing information.
CBT-I helps you Identify and challenge irrational negative sleep thoughts (NSTs) and replace them with positive sleep thoughts (PSTs).
What questions should I ask myself regarding sleep before I start CBT-I?
- What time do I go to bed?
- How long does it take me to fall asleep?
- Do I awaken during the night?
- How much total sleep time do I get?
- How much total sleep time do I need to feel rested?
- How long have I had this sleep pattern?
- What was your sleep like before I developed this problem?
Your answer to these will be important to understand as you embark on CBT-I treatment. Some of these you will record in your sleep diary to help monitor your total time asleep and your total time in bed. You will use that information to help decrease your total time in bed and increase your sleep efficiency(SE). SE= total time asleep/total time in bed.
