I’ve read multiple booksabout sleep and have implemented all recommendations for sleep hygiene. I am retired and my life is pretty easy so I don’t expereince much anxiety or worries. I take a medication for my heart that has insomnia as a frequent side effect. The med works well and the alternatives are really not good options. Is CBT-I likely to work in this situation?
Hi sls - first off, I’m sorry you’re not sleeping well. I know first hand how difficult it can be. CBT-I can be effective even if medication-induced insomnia is the cause, but its success depends on the situation. If you’ve already implemented sleep hygiene best practices and anxiety is not a concern, I worry that you may not get much out of it.
I’m not a doctor, so first I would recommend speaking to them directly before implementing any changes. If you want to give CBT-I a go, it could be helpful to do it in combination with other options your doctor can help you with. For example, some people find adjusting the timing of medications can help. You can also start tracking your sleep (using a tracker like an Oura ring or Apple Watch or good old fashioned pen and paper) to see if any of your other habits are helping or hurting your sleep.