Table 1.

Components of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for insomnia

CBT for insomnia component	Important techniques
Educational	Explaining the process and function of normal and disturbed sleep Explaining how behaviors can promote sleep, for example, by explaining the importance of a healthy lifestyle (e.g., low caffeine and alcohol intake) and by explaining the importance of bedtime routines (e.g., a dark bedroom and fixed bedtimes)
Behavioral	Stimulus control: advising a person to get out of bed when awake for more than 15 to 20 min, and only go back to bed when sleepy, to re-establish the connection between bed and sleep [10] Sleep restriction: restricting the time in bed to the average time slept in the past week (typically with a minimum of 5 h) to heighten the homeostatic sleep drive. If the sleep efficiency is above 85% or 90%, the amount of time in bed is lengthened [11]
Cognitive	Identifying and challenging misconceptions about sleep (such as “I have to sleep 8 h a night”) Addressing the “racing mind”: learning how to cope or deal with worries and thought that prevent the person from falling asleep Paradoxical intention: trying to stay awake instead of falling asleep [12]
Additive	Relaxation: relaxation and breathing techniques to teach persons to unwind [13] Mindfulness: using techniques from mindfulness to teach persons to unwind [14]