Cognitive Behavior Therapy Can Help Treat Insomnia

BOSTON (CBS) - One in ten Americans suffers from chronic insomnia and tens of millions of prescriptions for sleep aids are written every year, but there may be a drug-free solution for patients who have trouble sleeping.

A study finds that cognitive behavior therapy or CBT can help treat chronic insomnia in place of drugs. CBT involves teaching patient habits and relaxation techniques that reduce sleep anxiety and promote better sleep.

"It helps improve their difficulty falling asleep," says Michelle Drerup, PsyD of the Cleveland Clinic. "It helps them to have fewer awakenings in the middle of the night, and helps them improve their sleep efficiency and increase total sleep time."

In fact, Australian researchers found that CBT helped patients fall asleep 20 minutes faster and cut the time they spent awake after falling asleep by 30 minutes.

Sleep aids, both over-the-counter and by prescription, can have side effects so anything that can help people get to sleep and stay asleep without popping a pill is certainly worth trying.