Clinical Care
Evidence-based, individualized treatment for adults, families, and athletic organizations —delivered by a health psychologist board-certified in behavioral sleep medicine.
How care works
Care begins with a thorough assessment: sleep history, sleep diary data, screening for other sleep disorders such as sleep-disordered breathing and restless legs syndrome, medical and psychiatric context, medication review, work and family schedule, and circadian timing. Treatment is then individualized and grounded in the behavioral sleep medicine evidence base.
Behavioral sleep treatment is short-term and structured. It has a beginning, a defined set of procedures, measurable endpoints, and a planned conclusion with relapse prevention.
Coordinated care
Sleep problems rarely sit in one specialty. With your written consent, care is coordinated with sleep physicians, primary care physicians, psychiatrists, obstetric and gynecologic clinicians, pediatricians, athletic medical staff, and other treating professionals.
Medication management is performed by your prescribing physician. Behavioral treatment does not replace medical evaluation, and referral for medical assessment is made when the clinical picture warrants it.
What is treated
Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is the recommended first-line treatment for chronic insomnia in adults. Care includes assessment, sleep diary monitoring, a prescribed sleep window, stimulus control, cognitive work on sleep-related thinking and effort, arousal down-regulation, and relapse prevention. Most courses run four to eight sessions.
Assessment and behavioral treatment of delayed sleep-wake phase, advanced sleep-wake phase, irregular sleep-wake rhythm, shift work disorder, and jet lag. Treatment uses timed light exposure, structured sleep and wake scheduling, and behavioral anchors, with melatonin timing coordinated with a prescribing physician where indicated.
Behavioral treatment for difficulty tolerating positive airway pressure therapy, including mask discomfort, claustrophobic responses, nightly avoidance, and inconsistent use. Work includes graded desensitization, habit and environment design, addressing beliefs about the device, and coordination with the sleep physician and equipment provider who manage the therapy itself.
Sleep concerns related to the menstrual cycle, fertility treatment, pregnancy, postpartum, family sleep years, perimenopause, and post-menopause. CBT-I and circadian methods are adapted to the physiological and caregiving realities of each stage, with screening for sleep apnea and other disorders rather than attributing all symptoms to hormonal change.
Behavioral care alongside medical management by a sleep physician: scheduled napping, sleep timing and regularity, activity structuring, adjustment and coping, school and workplace accommodation planning, and support for the functional and psychological impact of a chronic central disorder of hypersomnolence.
Behavioral support during a physician-led reduction of sleep medication. CBT-I methods are established first so that sleep has behavioral and circadian support in place as the medication is reduced. Medication management (including all decisions to start, adjust, or discontinue medication) is performed by the patient's prescribing physician. Behavioral care is coordinated with the prescriber when appropriate and with the patient's consent.
Sleep and recovery work for competitive athletes and performers: post-competition wind-down, travel and time-zone planning, schedule irregularity, napping protocols, and treatment of clinical insomnia or circadian disorders that limit readiness.
Athletic Teams
Sleep & Change Specialists works with professional, collegiate, and nationally recognized high school programs on individual athlete care and organization-level sleep strategy.
Describe what you are experiencing and we will tell you honestly whether behavioral sleep medicine is appropriate, and if not, what evaluation to seek instead.
Treatment outcomes vary between individuals and no clinical outcome is guaranteed. This page is educational and does not constitute medical advice. If you are experiencing a medical or psychiatric emergency, contact emergency services.