Finding help

Many types of providers can deliver CBT guidance for insomnia, including behavioral sleep medicine specialists and members of your primary care team. There are a limited number of certified behavioral sleep medicine specialists. You may have to search for a trained practitioner and a treatment schedule to fit your needs.

You can search sleepeducation.org/sleep-center on the web for a sleep center in the U.S. certified by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, such as Mayo Clinic Center for Sleep Medicine. Or you can search the Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine website at behavioralsleep.org for a directory of behavioral sleep medicine providers.

The type of treatment, length of treatment and frequency of sessions can vary. You may need as few as one session or as many as eight or more sessions. It depends on your sleep expert, the program and your progress. Most people need 6 to 8 sessions.

When setting up an appointment, ask about the treatment approach and what to expect. Also, check ahead of time to see whether your health insurance will cover the type of treatment you need.

If available in your area, meet with a sleep medicine specialist in person for your sessions. But a phone or video meeting also may help. You also can look for self-help books and online resources for guidance on CBT techniques for insomnia.