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CBT-I for Insomnia
The treatment sleep doctors recommend before sleeping pills — now self-paced.
If you've been awake since 3 a.m. calculating how much sleep you can still get, you don't need another sleep hygiene checklist. Somnera walks you through the real clinical protocol over 6 to 8 weeks, building the nightly habits that retrain your sleep, at whatever pace fits your life.
Take the Free Assessment See How It Works Free to take · $79.99 for the full program · Available nationwide
Insomnia isn't a willpower problem
It's a learned pattern — and patterns can be unlearned.
Chronic insomnia keeps itself alive. A few bad nights lead to earlier bedtimes and later mornings to "catch up." More time in bed awake teaches your brain that the bed is where you lie there frustrated. Then the worry about not sleeping becomes the thing keeping you awake.
CBT-I retrains that association directly. That's the entire difference.
What doesn't break the loop
- Sleep hygiene lists — helpful at the margins, not a treatment
- Going to bed earlier — usually makes it worse
- Melatonin and supplements — built for jet lag, not chronic insomnia
- Sleeping pills — work for a while, then the insomnia comes back
What is CBT-I?
A structured protocol with a defined endpoint — not open-ended therapy.
It rebuilds your sleep drive and dismantles the mental habits keeping you awake. Not counseling, not a list of tips — a specific sequence of behavioral changes with measurable targets, and it finishes.
Both the American College of Physicians and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine name CBT-I the first treatment for chronic insomnia in adults, ahead of medication.
What the program includes
- A validated assessment that builds your plan
- Weekly lessons mapped out in advance
- Nightly logging that takes under two minutes
- A sleep window recalculated from your own data
- Progress tracking: efficiency, sleep onset, ISI trend
CBT-I is a fit if any of this sounds familiar
- Trouble falling or staying asleep three or more nights a week
- Insomnia that has run longer than three months
- You want off sleeping pills — or want to never start
- Shift work or frequent travel has wrecked your schedule
- Your insomnia rides alongside anxiety or chronic pain
- You lie awake running the clock math until your alarm
Three steps. No guesswork.
No appointments to schedule. No waitlist. No waiting room.
Take the assessment
A validated Insomnia Severity Index score builds your 6-to-8-week CBT-I plan. Free, about three minutes, no card required.
Start the Assessment
Log your sleep nightly
Bedtime, wake time, and quality — under two minutes, and your plan adjusts to it. That small nightly habit is what does the work.
Retake the check-in
Every few weeks you see your sleep difficulty score move, not just how you feel. Streak counts, wellness scores, and sleep efficiency all track in one place.
Progress you can point at is what carries people through the hard weeks.
See Where You Stand
The habit is the treatment
CBT-I only works if you actually do it — so the program is built to keep you doing it.
Sleep restriction and stimulus control aren't things you learn once. They're nightly behaviors you repeat until your sleep drive rebuilds itself. That repetition is the whole mechanism.
Which is why the program tracks streaks, marks milestones, and shows you the score moving. Week three is the hard one for most people — having something concrete to look at is often what gets them through it.
- A nightly log short enough to actually keep up
- Streaks and milestones that reward consistency, not perfection
- Weekly lessons released as you go, so nothing piles up
- Your sleep window recalculated from your own data
- A maintenance plan for after you finish
The four techniques CBT-I is built on
Each has a job. Sequenced correctly, they rebuild sleep from the ground up.
Sleep Restriction
Your time in bed gets matched to the sleep you're actually getting, then widened back out as efficiency climbs. This is the engine, and usually the first thing you feel working.
Stimulus Control
Months of bad nights turn your bed into a cue for frustration. A small, specific set of rules rewires that association until your bedroom signals sleep again.
Cognitive Restructuring
"If I don't fall asleep now, tomorrow is ruined." You'll find the exact beliefs driving your nighttime arousal and replace them with accurate ones.
Relaxation Training
Breathing work, progressive muscle relaxation, and a wind-down sequence that lowers physical arousal before you're anywhere near the bedroom.
See where your insomnia actually stands — free, in three minutes.
Take the Free AssessmentCBT-I vs. sleeping pills
Both help you sleep. Only one keeps working after you stop.
| CBT-I | Sleep medication | |
|---|---|---|
| Guideline status | Recommended first-line | Second-line, short-term |
| Treats the cause | Yes — targets the maintaining behaviors and beliefs | No — suppresses the symptom |
| Effect after stopping | Improvements generally persist | Insomnia commonly returns |
| Tolerance or dependence | None | Possible with several drug classes |
| Next-day grogginess | No | Common |
| Effort required | Real — it's a protocol you follow | Minimal |
| Speed of first effect | Typically 2–3 weeks | Same night |
Sleep medication has a real role, particularly short-term and in specific clinical situations. Never stop a prescribed sleep medication on your own — several classes require a supervised taper. This program can be used alongside medication, but any change to your prescription goes through your physician.
Built by a dual board-certified physician
Not a wellness app — a clinical protocol, delivered properly.
Most sleep apps are built by product teams who read the research. This program was built by Dr. Camilo Ruiz, DO, FACOI, FAASM — board-certified in both Internal Medicine and Sleep Medicine, and fellowship-trained in sleep.
That dual training matters more than it sounds. Insomnia is frequently downstream of something else: undiagnosed sleep apnea, thyroid dysfunction, reflux, medication side effects, depression. A protocol built by someone who treats the whole patient accounts for that instead of ignoring it.
- DO — Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
- FACOI — Fellow, American College of Osteopathic Internists
- FAASM — Fellow, American Academy of Sleep Medicine
- Board-certified in Internal Medicine and Sleep Medicine
- Practicing at an ACHC-accredited sleep center
- 4.7-star rated across 82+ patient reviews
Dr. Ruiz practices sleep medicine and concierge internal medicine in Fort Lauderdale. This program brings the same protocol to people anywhere in the country.
Meet Dr. RuizSimple pricing. No surprises.
One price for the program. Continuing after it is optional.
Full CBT-I Program
- The complete 6-to-8 week CBT-I program
- Every weekly lesson, released as you progress
- Unlimited nightly sleep logging
- Full progress dashboard and ISI tracking
- Personalized sleep window, recalculated weekly
- Streaks, badges, and milestone tracking
- No recurring charge while you complete the program
Ongoing Coaching
Available only after you finish the program. For people who want to keep building.
- Everything in the one-time plan
- Continuously refreshed lessons
- Ongoing coaching and check-ins
- Cancel anytime, no further charges
The $79.99 covers the full 6-to-8 week program. If you want to keep using Somnera after you finish, ongoing coaching is $19.99 per month and can be cancelled anytime. Self-pay; HSA and FSA funds may be eligible depending on your plan.
CBT-I, answered honestly
How long does CBT-I take to work?
Most people notice improvement within two to three weeks. The full program runs six to eight weeks, and finishing it produces the most durable gains. Sleep restriction usually delivers the first noticeable change.
Is CBT-I better than sleeping pills?
For chronic insomnia, major medical guidelines recommend CBT-I first. Sleep medications can help in the short term, but the benefit often fades and insomnia typically returns once they stop. CBT-I addresses the behaviors and thought patterns maintaining the insomnia, so the improvement holds.
Does a self-paced program work as well as seeing someone in person?
Digital and self-guided CBT-I has been studied in randomized controlled trials and shows meaningful improvement in insomnia severity. The protocol is the same either way. Self-paced delivery also solves a real problem: trained CBT-I clinicians are scarce and often booked months out.
Is it available where I live?
Yes. The program is entirely online and available nationwide — no in-person visit, no scheduling, no geographic restriction. You work through it from wherever you are, on your own schedule.
What does it cost?
$79.99 one time covers the complete 6-to-8 week program, with no recurring charge while you work through it. If you want to keep using the program after you finish, ongoing access is $19.99 per month and can be cancelled anytime.
Can I use it while taking sleep medication?
Yes. Many people start while still on a sleep aid. Do not change or stop a prescribed medication on your own — several classes require a gradual supervised taper, and stopping abruptly can cause rebound insomnia. Any adjustment goes through your prescribing physician.
What if I have sleep apnea?
Insomnia and apnea frequently coexist, and CBT-I alone won't fix a night that's being fragmented by untreated apnea. If you snore heavily, wake gasping, or feel unrefreshed no matter how long you sleep, get evaluated first. Our sleep medicine team can arrange a sleep study.
Will this help insomnia caused by anxiety?
Yes. The cognitive portion is built for exactly this — the racing mind, and the anxiety about not sleeping that becomes its own cause. People whose insomnia sits alongside anxiety are among those who respond best.
Does insurance cover it?
This is a self-pay program. Insurance coverage for digital CBT-I varies by plan, and HSA or FSA funds may be eligible depending on your account. Check with your plan administrator.
Who should not use a self-paced CBT-I program?
Talk to a physician before starting if you have untreated sleep apnea, a seizure disorder, bipolar disorder, or a history of psychosis, or if you drive professionally or work in a safety-critical role — sleep restriction can temporarily increase daytime sleepiness in the early weeks. Book a consultation if any of these apply.
Please read this first
This is an educational and behavioral self-help program. It is not a medical device, it does not diagnose or treat any condition, and it does not replace care from a licensed physician.
Talk to a physician first if
- You have or suspect untreated sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, or narcolepsy
- You have a seizure disorder, bipolar disorder, or a history of psychosis — sleep restriction can destabilize these
- You're pregnant, or have a medical or psychiatric condition affecting sleep
- You drive professionally or work in a safety-critical role — sleep restriction can temporarily increase daytime sleepiness
About your medication
Never start, stop, or change a prescription based on this page. Several sleep medications require a gradual, supervised taper, and stopping abruptly can cause rebound insomnia or more serious withdrawal effects. Any change goes through your prescribing clinician.
In an emergency
If you're experiencing thoughts of self-harm or a medical emergency, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or dial 911. Don't wait on a self-guided program.
Results
Individual results vary. Statistics describing CBT-I refer to published research on the treatment generally, not to outcomes measured in program users. This page is general health information, not medical advice, and does not create a doctor–patient relationship.
Reviewed by Camilo Ruiz, DO, FACOI, FAASM Board-certified in Internal Medicine and Sleep Medicine
Ask Dr. Ruiz First