How to conquer insomnia with cognitive behavioural therapy

According to the World Association of Sleep Medicine, almost half the people on the planet — about 45 per cent — are not sleeping well at night.  

Statistics Canada says six people in ten in this country have insomnia, and it can last for days, weeks, months or years. 

For decades, psychiatrists and psychologists have been using cognitive behavioural therapy to treat various mental disorders, like anxiety, depression. Today, it's also being used to help people conquer their insomnia.  

We engage in a bunch of behaviours to produce sleep. Good sleepers don't do anything to produce sleep. They close their eyes.- Dr. Colleen Carney

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia, or CBT-I, is a treatment program that a growing number of professionals recognize as effective. It helps people get more shut-eye by changing the way they think about sleep and improving their habits around bedtime.

Dr. Colleen Carney is arguably Canada's leading clinician in CBT-I. She has authored or co-authored several books on the subject of insomnia and is the director of the Sleep and Depression Laboratory at Ryerson University in Toronto. She also teaches in the university's Department of Psychology. 

Click the button above to hear Michael's interview with Dr. Colleen Carney.