Insomnia: Why Spending Less Time in Bed Might Cure Your Sleepless Nights

Why Sleeping Pills and “Good Habits” Aren’t Enough

For many, the first thing that comes to mind for treating insomnia is either medication or sleep hygiene (think: avoiding screens at night, skipping that late cup of coffee, and so on). While sleeping pills can come in handy as a quick, short-term fix for some people, this approach isn’t risk-free—and we still don’t know much about their long-term effects. The reality is, their effectiveness tends to drop off over time, and there’s always the risk of developing a dependency. These are just a couple of complications tied to long-term use of sleep medications.

As for sleep hygiene, it’s certainly useful—those bedtime rituals and environmental tweaks are intended to help. But on their own, they’re just not powerful enough to conquer chronic insomnia. The best treatment for insomnia isn’t a new app or a miracle tea. It’s CBT-I, short for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia.

What Makes CBT-I So Effective?

Decades of research show that CBT-I significantly improves symptoms of insomnia. People fall asleep faster, stay asleep better through the night, and enjoy more restorative rest. And here’s the thing: Compared to medication, CBT-I is consistently the top performer. That’s why globally recognized medical bodies recommend CBT-I as the first-line treatment for insomnia.

The beauty of CBT-I? Its benefits are widespread—it helps adults of all ages, including those facing mental or physical health issues. This structured therapy shows you how to develop sleep-supportive habits while helping you identify and change the thoughts that stand in your way. By focusing on both behaviors and the mind, it enables your body’s natural sleep-regulating systems to work as they should. But how does it actually work? Let’s take a closer look.

CBT-I Basics: Spend Less Time in Bed to Sleep Better

The core of CBT-I is pretty straightforward—but not always what people expect! It emphasizes:

• Waking up at the same time each day
• Limiting the amount of time you spend in bed
• Using your bed only for sleep (or, ahem, intimacy)

Keeping regular sleep and wake times is the number one way to “reset” your circadian rhythm—that’s your internal clock deciding when you’re sleepy or alert. For many insomniacs, this clock is simply out of sync.

Here’s where things get interesting: Limiting your time in bed ramps up what’s called your “sleep drive” (or sleep pressure). By going to bed later than usual—yes, really!—your body’s craving for sleep increases, and you’ll find it easier to fall (and stay) asleep when you do finally hit the pillow.

This strategy isn’t for everyone. If you work night shifts or rotating hours, odds are your sleep drive is already peaking when you turn in, so this method may not apply directly to you.

There’s one last key: getting out of bed if you’re not sleeping. This breaks the unhappy association many insomniacs develop between their beds and frustration, wakefulness, or anxiety. Instead of tossing and turning or doom-scrolling, you leave the bed and only return when you’re genuinely sleepy—transforming your bed back into a sanctuary for sleep (and, again, for sex—sorry, Netflix, you’re out!).

More than Just Habits: Cognitive Work and Keeping Track

CBT-I goes beyond habits. Cognitive restructuring—a fancy term for challenging the thoughts that make you anxious or wired at night—helps break the spiral of worry and dysfunctional beliefs sabotaging your sleep. Learning relaxation techniques also helps your mind and body wind down in the evening.

Throughout therapy, you’ll keep a sleep diary where you track your daily sleep routines and patterns. Why bother? Because this info lets your therapist personalize CBT-I to your exact needs. For example, your “sleep window” (when you go to bed and when you get up) can be tweaked from week to week based on how you’re actually sleeping.

If you’re reading this and thinking, “Well, CBT-I sounds a lot more demanding than just popping a sleeping pill,” you’re absolutely right. Like any real therapy, CBT-I asks for time, motivation, and a little faith in the process. But once you learn these techniques, you’ll have them for years to come—long after treatment ends. That means better sleep for the long haul, and the ability to bounce back if sleep troubles ever reappear. That’s why CBT-I is not only the most powerful way to beat insomnia, but also the most sustainable.

We can help! HALEO offers a solution that can boost productivity and reduce disability thanks to high-quality sleep. Book a discovery meeting with us by reserving your spot here.