CBT-I is called the ‘gold standard’ for sleep disorder treatment. After 40 years of issues, could it help me sleep right?
I’ve had intense issues with insomnia and respiratory problems for 40 years – and yet, I only learned about cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) this year.
Fellow insomniacs told me about it when I was reporting a story on the link I discovered between orthodontics and sleep health during my exhaustive search for sleep solutions. Two rounds of nasal surgery in the past year revolutionized my air flow – but didn’t improve the anxious mind that still kept me awake.
Though CBT-I is backed by research and referred to as the “gold standard” for sleep disorder treatment by organizations such as the US Department of Veterans Affairs, none of the doctors I’d been begging for solutions from ever mentioned it.
CBT-I has a reputation for being brutal and restrictive – enforced sleep schedules, bizarre relaxation drills, the kind of thing that can make sharing a bedroom nearly impossible.
