Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia

Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia is a structured, short-term program that changes the thoughts, habits and conditioned responses keeping chronic insomnia going.

It typically runs for several weekly sessions with a trained therapist, in person, by video or through validated digital programs. Core components include sleep restriction, which consolidates time in bed to match actual sleep; stimulus control, which re-links the bed with sleep; cognitive work on unhelpful beliefs about sleep; relaxation training; and sleep hygiene education. A sleep diary tracks progress throughout.

Clinical guidelines from sleep medicine and physician organizations recommend it as the first-line treatment for chronic insomnia in adults, ahead of sleeping medication, because gains tend to last after the program ends. It provides an important reference point when weighing where cannabidiol research on sleep fits, since cannabidiol has been studied for sleep only in limited trials and is not part of established insomnia care.