Q&A at the New York Times Consults Blog.
Cognitive behavior therapy for insomnia, or CBT-I, is considered by many to be the gold standard treatment for insomnia. This nondrug treatment can benefit many types of patients, including those with primary insomnia, chronic pain, depression or anxiety as well as older adults who have trouble sleeping. The technique consistently produces results that are comparable to, or even exceed, those of sleeping pills. Studies have shown that even one year after ending treatment, many patients continue to sleep well.