Insomnia & CBT-I
Having trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking earlier than you want? Sleep & Change Specialists provides evidence-based treatment for insomnia with Christine Mason, PhD, DBSM, a health psychologist and behavioral sleep medicine specialist.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is a structured, evidence-based treatment for chronic insomnia that addresses the behavioral, cognitive, and physiological processes that can keep sleep problems going.
Sleep & Change Specialists is a behavioral sleep medicine practice based in the Atlanta area. Care is available in person from the Atlanta area and through telehealth in jurisdictions where Dr. Mason is authorized to practice.
The condition
Insomnia is persistent difficulty with sleep despite having the opportunity to sleep, along with effects on how you feel or function during the day. It can involve difficulty:
The treatment
CBT-I helps retrain the sleep system. Treatment typically includes a planned sleep window based on your own sleep diary, stimulus control to rebuild the link between bed and sleep, strategies for the worry and effort that often surround sleep, ways to lower nighttime arousal, and a plan for keeping gains over time.
CBT-I is not the same as general “sleep hygiene” tips. Sleep hygiene advice alone is not an effective treatment for chronic insomnia; CBT-I is an individualized clinical treatment. Read how CBT-I differs from sleep hygiene.
Who it helps
CBT-I is appropriate for many adults with chronic insomnia, including insomnia that occurs alongside medical conditions, psychological concerns such as anxiety or depression, or other sleep conditions, when clinically appropriate. Assessment includes screening for other sleep disorders that may need medical evaluation.
What to expect
Treatment is individualized. It begins with a thorough assessment of your sleep, health, schedule, and circadian timing, followed by weekly review of your sleep diary and adjustments to the plan. CBT-I treatment commonly lasts approximately 6 to 8 weeks, although treatment may be longer when sleep problems or co-occurring conditions are more complex. How long CBT-I takes.
Specialist care
Behavioral sleep medicine is a clinical specialty focused on the behavioral, cognitive, and circadian factors that cause and maintain sleep problems. The DBSM (Diplomate in Behavioral Sleep Medicine) is a board certification that requires specialized supervised clinical training and a certifying examination.
Christine Mason, PhD, DBSM
Licensed Psychologist
Board-Certified in Behavioral Sleep Medicine
Dr. Mason is a psychologist, not a physician. When medical evaluation, sleep testing, or medication decisions are needed, care is coordinated with your physician. What a sleep psychologist does.
Location
Sleep & Change Specialists is based in the Atlanta area of Georgia.
Telehealth availability depends on the jurisdiction where you are physically located at the time of treatment. See where clinical services are available for current licensure and telehealth details.
Questions
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is a structured, evidence-based treatment for chronic insomnia. It works on the behaviors, thoughts, and body processes that keep poor sleep going, using methods such as a planned sleep window, stimulus control, cognitive strategies, and relapse prevention. Professional guidelines recommend it as a first-line treatment for chronic insomnia in adults.
Yes. Sleep hygiene is general advice, such as limiting caffeine or keeping the bedroom dark. On its own it is not an effective treatment for chronic insomnia. CBT-I is an individualized clinical treatment with defined components, guided by your own sleep diary data and adjusted week by week.
CBT-I commonly lasts approximately 6 to 8 weeks. Treatment may be longer when sleep problems or co-occurring conditions are more complex. The right length depends on your concerns and how treatment progresses.
Difficulty falling asleep is one of the core problems CBT-I is designed to address. Treatment targets the conditioned arousal, timing, and effort around sleep that can make it hard to drift off. Individual responses vary, and progress is reviewed with you throughout treatment.
CBT-I also addresses difficulty staying asleep and returning to sleep after waking. Consolidating sleep within a planned sleep window and changing how nighttime wakefulness is handled are central parts of treatment.
Not always. Many people benefit from working with a clinician trained in CBT-I. A psychologist board-certified in behavioral sleep medicine (DBSM) has specialized training in insomnia and other sleep disorders, which can be especially helpful when insomnia is long-standing, has not responded to earlier efforts, or occurs alongside other medical, psychological, or sleep conditions.
Yes. CBT-I translates well to telehealth because it relies on history, sleep diaries, and structured weekly review. Telehealth availability depends on the jurisdiction where you are physically located at the time of each visit.
A medical evaluation is important when there are signs of another sleep disorder, such as loud snoring, gasping or pauses in breathing, significant daytime sleepiness, unusual movements or behaviors during sleep, or when medication decisions are involved. Behavioral treatment does not replace appropriate medical evaluation, and referral is made when the clinical picture calls for it.
To request CBT-I or behavioral sleep medicine care, send a clinic inquiry. Please do not include detailed health information in the form.