Sleep Therapy for Arlington, VA, Residents: Why CBT-I Works Better Than Sleep Medication

A chronic lack of sleep can affect mood, focus, health, and even relationships. You’ve probably tried a hundred things—nightcaps, melatonin, maybe even prescription sleep aids. But have you tried Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I)? At my practice, CBT-I helps Arlington, Virginia, residents achieve permanent sleep improvement. CBT-I is widely considered the gold-standard treatment for chronic insomnia because it targets the patterns that keep sleeplessness going, not just the symptoms.

Why Does Sleep Medication Often Not Work?

Sleep medications can be helpful, but they come with limitations. For many people, medication can:

• Create temporary relief without addressing the root cause
• Lose effectiveness over time
• Lead to reliance or anxiety about sleeping without it
• Cause side effects like grogginess or memory issues

If you’ve tried medication and sleep problems return as soon as you stop, or if medication never helped, take this as a sign that you need something else. The underlying cycle hasn’t been changed, and until it is, you’ll keep having to fight for every hour of solid sleep.

Here’s Why You Should Try CBT-I Instead!

CBT for insomnia is a structured sleep therapy that helps you change the behaviors and thoughts that fuel insomnia. Instead of chasing sleep, you learn how to rebuild sleep drive and reduce the “performance anxiety” that develops around bedtime. We’ll work on:

• Improving consistency and strengthening your sleep-wake rhythm
• Reducing time spent awake in bed, tossing and turning
• Shifting unhelpful beliefs about sleep that increase pressure
• Calming racing thoughts

This approach helps your brain re-learn that bed equals sleep, not stress. For sleep therapy that supports real, lasting change, try cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia at Virginia Lindahl, Ph.D. Therapy and Psych Testing. I’m here to help clients in Arlington, VA, rest easy—literally! Schedule a consultation today to learn more.