By Christine Heller, PhD
Everyone has a bad night of sleep once in a while, but if you struggle to fall asleep and stay asleep most nights for more than a few months, you may have insomnia. Kinwell now offers an online group program to treat this common sleep disorder. “Putting Insomnia to Bed” offers patients Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), a proven medication-free option.
Insomnia is common. A 2024 survey by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine indicated that 12% of Americans have been diagnosed with chronic insomnia. But women overall are 40% more likely to experience insomnia, especially as they enter perimenopause, according to research by the Society for Women’s Health. And the rate of insomnia has risen by more than 30% in young adults over the last decade, likely due to increased screen time and stress.
What starts as a short-term sleep problem due to big life changes or stress can turn into insomnia. Even after life settles down, sleep problems may continue. It’s common for people to try to catch up on sleep by going to bed early, sleeping in later, or taking daytime naps. While these ideas seem helpful, they can make insomnia worse.
While medications can help with short-term sleep problems, they are not a good long-term solution. They can become habit-forming, may lead to long-term health risks, and are only moderately effective. On average, prescribed sleep medications reduce the time it takes to fall asleep by about 20 minutes compared to a placebo. Talk to your healthcare provider about the benefits and risks of any sleep medication, including over-the-counter options.
The good news is that there is a treatment that works without medication. CBT-I is the gold-standard treatment for insomnia. It addresses the root of your sleep problem and retrains your brain and body to fall asleep more easily, stay asleep, and feel more refreshed in the morning. CBT-I is a structured program that helps you identify and replace behaviors and thoughts that can cause or worsen sleep problems.
Research shows that about 7 out of 10 people who complete CBT-I treatment sleep much better, and about half no longer have insomnia after treatment1. CBT-I is as effective as sleep medications in the short term, and more effective than medications in the long term2.
Kinwell is excited to offer the virtual group program, “Putting Insomnia to Bed.” This six-session online program will teach you the basics of CBT-I and help you apply it to your life in a supportive group of patients who are working toward better sleep. Participants will learn how healthy sleep works, why insomnia happens, and how to fall asleep more easily, wake up less during the night, and challenge unhelpful thoughts about sleep.
This program is not appropriate for patients with bipolar disorder, untreated sleep apnea, or epilepsy. Patients with those conditions can schedule one-on-one appointments with a behavioral health clinician for a CBT-I program specifically designed to accommodate their needs.
If you have been struggling with sleep for months or even years, CBT-I can help you build healthy sleep habits that last. Talk to your primary care clinician about your sleep health. For more information about the “Putting Insomnia to Bed” program and to register, call 509-213-4944.
Christine Heller is a licensed psychologist in Kinwell’s East Wenatchee clinic. She and Elizabeth Jones, PsyD, of Kinwell’s Redmond clinic, will lead the “Putting Insomnia to Bed” program.
1 Morin, C. M., & Buysse, D. J. (2024). Management of insomnia. New England Journal of Medicine, 391(3), 247-258.
2 Muench, A., Vargas, I., Grandner, M. A., Ellis, J. G., Posner, D., Bastien, C. H., Drummond, S. P., & Perlis, M. L. (2022). We know CBT-I works, now what? Faculty reviews, 11, 4. https://doi.org/10.12703/r/11-4
