Frequently asked questions: For clients

Understanding sleep therapy

  • Behavioral sleep therapy is an evidence-based approach to improving sleep by addressing the physiological, behavioral, and cognitive processes that heavily impact sleep.

    Sleep therapy addresses the root causes of sleep problems, rather than inducing sedation or masking symptoms.

  • Insomnia is a sleep disorder that involves problems falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking too early. It often affects daytime functioning, including fatigue, difficulty concentrating, irritability, or reduced enjoyment of life.

    Many people experience occasional sleep problems, particularly during times of stress or change. Insomnia becomes a concern when sleep difficulties persist beyond three months.

    Fortunately, insomnia is highly treatable, and there is extensive research demonstrating the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I).

  • CBT-I is the gold standard and treatment for people who struggle with falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking too early. It is evidence-based and recommended as the first-line treatment by major medical organizations, including the American College of Physicians, the Cleveland Clinic, the Mayo Clinic, the National Institutes of Health, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

    CBT-I addresses the root causes of insomnia and strengthens natural sleep processes, rather than masking symptoms. It involves specific techniques, including sleep consolidation, stimulus control, and cognitive restructuring.

  • CBT-I is non-pharmalogical, meaning it does not involve the use of medication. Research shows that CBT-I produces improvements that last longer than sleep medications, without the risk of side effects or dependency.

    Many clients start therapy while still taking a sleep aid, and then work with their prescriber to taper as their sleep improves.

  • Most people with chronic sleep problems already have good sleep hygiene. They avoid caffeine late in the day, keep their bedrooms cool and dark, exercise regularly, limit screen time or use blue blockers in the evenings, and take other steps to optimize their sleep.

    While these are good habits, CBT-I is a structured clinical treatment that goes beyond sleep hygiene to strengthen your body’s natural sleep drive and reduce sleep anxiety. CBT-I uses specific techniques, like sleep consolidation, stimulus control, and cognitive restructuring tailored to you, your specific sleep patterns, and your specific lifestyle.

  • Renew Behavioral Health also works with people with many other types of sleep problems beyond insomnia. This includes chronic nightmares (and specifically the use of cognitive behavioral therapy for nightmares [CBT-N]), circadian rhythm disorders, people with shift work schedules, sleep-related anxiety, sleep apnea, and narcolepsy.

    However, some sleep disorders are primarily caused by physical health problems, including sleep apnea and narcolepsy. These are best diagnosed through a diagnostic sleep center. Renew Behavioral Health does not offer sleep studies, MSLTs, or other physical health services. While we work with clients with these diagnoses, they require care coordination with other physical health providers.

Who can benefit from sleep therapy

  • Common signs that you could benefit from sleep therapy include:

    • Not being able to fall asleep or not feeling sleepy at bedtime

    • Waking up in the middle of the night

    • Waking up earlier than you want to

    • Racing thoughts or feeling like your mind won’t shut off at beditime

    • Feeling like your sleep is “broken”

    • Relying too much on melatonin, Ambien, or other sleep aids

    • Never feeling rested

    • Frustration at bedtime

    • Checking the clock throughout the night

    • Feeling exhausted during the day but wide awake at night

    • Feeling “wired but tired”

  • Generally, yes. Insomnia is very common alongside anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and other health conditions. Research demonstrates that sleep problems should be treated directly, rather than as a symptom of another condition, and CBT-I has been shown to be effective in people with many other health conditions. Moreover, sleep therapy and improving sleep can also help relieve other symptoms, such as anxiety and depression.

    Treatment is always adapted to fit your individual needs, sleep patterns, and health conditions. Additionally, Renew Behavioral Health prioritizes coordination with other care providers, including other mental health therapists. Many clients often receive concurrent mental health care while receiving sleep therapy services.

  • Not at all. CBT-I is effective for insomnia that has been chronic for just a few months, years, or even decades. Long-standing insomnia usually just means more entrenched sleep habits and beliefs, and CBT-I is specifically designed to address these factors.

  • Yes! Shift work, rotating schedules, regular time zone changes, and other circadian disruptions are common and treatable. Sessions focus on realistic strategies for your specific schedule, including light exposure timing, strategic naps, and adjusting sleep windows.

Getting started

  • Reach out! You can email melissa@renew-behavioral-health.com with any questions or to start services. You can also schedule a time directly using the link at the top right of this page.

    Renew Behavioral Health offers free 15 minute consults to potential clients. During this call, we will review your needs and goals, and you can ask any questions that you may have.

  • After we schedule your first session, you will receive a link to complete intake paperwork electronically, including questionnaires related to your sleep patterns.

    The first session is a full sleep assessment. This includes your sleep pattern history, your specific concerns and goals, previous treatments you’ve tried, and any medical or other relevant information.

    After the first session, most clients will need to track their sleep daily until services end. This data informs the course of treatment and helps track progress.

    After the first session, treatment is highly individualized but often includes sleep consolidation (i.e., temporary sleep schedules), stimulus control, and cognitive restructuring.

  • CBT-I is typically considered a brief treatment (approximately 6-10 weeks), and clients often see improvement after just a few weeks. Renew Behavioral Health recommends weekly sessions for best results.

    However, many factors can impact duration of services, including the complexity of your sleep problems, comorbidity with other health conditions, and how quickly clients are able to implement the CBT-I protocol.

  • Yes, Renew Behavioral Health accepts insurance. There is a link at the top of the page that will take you to fee and insurance information.

  • Renew Behavioral Health primarily provides telehealth services and serves clients across the state of Colorado.

    If you prefer in-person services, this can typically be accommodated with advanced notice.