Understanding Insomnia
Effective Treatment Options and Support
Insomnia isn’t just “bad sleep.” It’s a pattern of trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking too early - plus daytime effects like fatigue, fogginess, irritability, and reduced focus.
Insomnia often lingers because frustration, worry, and common coping habits (extra time in bed, naps, daytime caffeine, etc.) keep the brain alert at night.
With the correct therapy, insomnia is highly treatable - without medication.
At ScienceWorks, we specialize in insomnia - and we're here to help.
What is Insomnia?
Insomnia is a sleep condition marked by persistent difficulty initiating sleep, maintaining sleep, or waking earlier than desired - at least several nights per week - with daytime impact. Over time, the body's natural rhythm can become accustomed to insomnia's adverse cues - obscuring symptoms and making it difficult to know when treatment is needed.
Insomnia can be self-reinforcing when short-term coping habits like napping, sleeping in, etc., become long-term patterns.
Many mental and physical conditions often occur with, and contribute to, insomnia - potentially complicating treatment strategies.
The good news is that with the right diagnosis and proper treatment, we can disentangle complex symptoms to target the root cause of your insomnia and achieve lasting relief.
Good sleep is essential to health and happiness. If you are dissatisfied with your sleep, we encourage to you schedule a free consultation to learn more.
Insomnia by the numbers
Nearly 40% of US adults suffer from symptoms of insomnia
~85% of people with anxiety report having insomnia
~80% of people with depression report having insomnia; the existence of insomnia on its own doubles the risk of developing depression
Up to 78% of people with PTSD report having insomnia
More than 50% of people with chronic pain also have insomnia
Up to 50% of people with OCD report significant insomnia symptoms
~47% of people with obstructive sleep apnea meet criteria for insomnia
Up to 80% of adults with ADHD struggle with insomnia symptoms
Up to 60% of autistic adults struggle with insomnia symptoms
CBT-I is a behavioral therapy specifically for insomnia and is recognized as the first-line treatment for insomnia; CBT-I significantly outperforms medication for the long-term resolution of symptoms
Starting treatment as soon as possible can prevent the entrenchment of insomnia patterns and improve results
Effective Insomnia Therapy
Personalized Approaches for Lasting Relief
Insomnia can occur as part of the bigger picture of mental health.
Explore specific strategies built just for you.
Available via telehealth in Tennessee
Specialized Treatment for Insomnia
We use modern evidence-based treatments that are gentle, accessible, and efficient.
CBT for Insomnia (CBT-I)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is a scientific framework for understanding and disrupting the patterns that keep you awake.
With a deeper understanding of these barriers, we can create individualized strategies and support systems to make sleep feel safe and attainable.
Provided By
Kiesa
Ryan
CBT-I blends seamlessly with therapies for co-occurring conditions to provide lasting relief at the source.
Did you know...
The structured approach of CBT-I can also help you build positive routines around medications, CPAP devices, and more - making it an excellent foundation for healthy, sustainable sleep.
Complete Care
Treating insomnia means treating all of you. Our custom treatment plans include psychological assessments to build a complete picture of your needs and targeted therapies for co-occurring conditions to provide a comprehensive and effective therapy experience. That's the ScienceWorks difference.
For Insomnia with OCD
(EXPLORE)
Insomnia and OCD commonly reinforce each other. Nighttime can naturally raise the brain's threat detection mechanism; causing intrusive thoughts to spike just as you're trying to sleep.
Then, poor sleep lowers frustration tolerance and inhibitory control the next day, making OCD more pronounced - creating a vicious cycle that sets up another difficult night.
At ScienceWorks, we use CBT-I to understand OCD's influence on your insomnia and incorporate targeted therapies such as I-CBT and/or ERP as part of a complete treatment approach.
Inference-Based CBT (I-CBT)
I-CBT is a research-backed therapy for OCD that helps clients understand how OCD disrupts the reasoning process that gives rise to the OCD doubts from the start.
By learning how to resolve the inferential confusion in OCD, we learn to see compulsions as irrelevant.
Provided By
Kiesa
Catherine
Ryan
Exposure-Response Prevention (ERP)
Justice-Based Exposure-Response Prevention is effective at breaking the obsessive-compulsive cycle and helping the brain to learn new responses to intrusive thoughts.
Our approach to ERP is values-based and affirming.
Provided By
Kiesa
Catherine
Ryan
For Insomnia with Trauma
(EXPLORE)
Just as nighttime threat detection can reinforce the relationship between insomnia and OCD, the same can be true for insomnia and trauma.
For those with trauma, nighttime's absence of external stimuli can feel unnerving rather than relaxing - causing the perception of threats and a heightened physical response when the body should really be winding down.
This experience is often so unpleasant that just the anticipation of a trauma response as bedtime approaches can lead people to disrupt sleep routines with short-term safety behaviors that further entrench insomnia's patterns. Poor sleep makes it more difficult to cope with trauma during the day, creating an ongoing cycle.
When insomnia and trauma co-occur, it is essential to address both conditions to achieve meaningful results.
If necessary, we can conduct an assessment to identify and confirm the co-occurrence; this will also help to isolate symptoms for specialized treatment. Then, we'll use CBT-I to target your insomnia while gently incorporating treatment for trauma to provide comprehensive, long-term relief.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is an evidence-based strategy that helps you recognize how past experiences distort your present thinking.
By identifying thought patterns that maintain distress, you'll learn practical skills to challenge these perceptions, process memories safely, and reclaim control over your reactions.
Provided By
Kiesa
Catherine
Ryan
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR can be a preferable alternative to other therapies because EMDR requires minimal talking or discussion.
EMDR helps your brain naturally reprocess disturbing memories through guided bilateral stimulation in a controlled manner.
This transforms how memories are stored, reducing their emotional charge.
Provided By
Dr. Kelly has received advanced training in EMDR and continues to improve her skills through research and consultation.
Kiesa
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT for trauma teaches you to meet difficult memories with purpose and compassion rather than avoidance.
By developing mindfulness skills and connecting with your core values, you'll learn to move beyond past experiences without letting them control your choices.
Provided By
Kiesa
Catherine
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
If you've tried other therapies but still feel caught in the cycle of trauma, CPT is a specialized therapy that can help you regain your footing and accelerate your progress.
CPT uses a steady cadence of psychoeducation and guided restructuring to identify the "stuck points" holding you back. During the process you will develop focused strategies to overcome these barriers with clarity and efficiency.
Provided By
Ryan
For Insomnia with Anxiety & Depression
(EXPLORE)
CBT-I is an excellent framework to coordinate care for co-occurring anxiety and depression. CBT-I provides the tools and strategies to stabilize sleep while focusing on underlying symptoms with targeted therapy for sustained improvement.
Anxiety
For those with anxiety, worry and hyperarousal can spike at bedtime - priming the brain for increased activity at a time when activity should decrease. Short-term safety behaviors such as phone-scrolling, mental checking, etc., make the problem worse.
The poor sleep that results makes one more vulnerable to anxiety the next day and the cycle repeats - contributing to the entrenched pattern of insomnia over time.
Depression
Depression and insomnia frequently co-occur as part of an adverse feedback loop where the energy-depleting impacts of depression during the day (napping, oversleeping, inactivity, irregular schedules) disrupt sleep at night.
Constant rumination and negative thoughts can worsen an already difficult relationship with sleep.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
At its core, CBT is designed to identify, explore, and reframe the patterns of unwanted thoughts and behaviors.
While CBT-I applies these techniques specifically to insomnia symptoms, general CBT is a great compliment that can be applied more broadly to address secondary concerns like anxiety and depression.
Provided By
Kiesa
Catherine
Ryan
Neurocounseling (NC)
Neurocounseling is a therapeutic approach that combines evidence-based treatment strategies with deeper neurological insights for anxiety, depression, and insomnia.
With NC, you'll learn the science of how your brain works to gain new perspectives on your experiences and your therapy - allowing you to move forward with focus and clarity.
Provided By
Ryan
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT helps you meet the difficult cycles of anxiety and depression with purpose and compassion rather than sleep-disrupting habits.
By developing mindfulness skills, you'll learn to increase your control over insomnia and reduce its impact on daily living.
Provided By
Kiesa
Catherine
Motivational Interviewing (MI)
Change is hard. Motivational Interviewing consists of structured, collaborative conversations between you and your therapist to identify your unique values and capabilities.
With MI, you'll uncover the strategies and personal drive to break the cycle of poor sleep and support healthier routines.
Provided By
Kiesa
Ryan
For Insomnia with ADHD & Autism
(EXPLORE)
Research shows a clear overlap between neurodivergence and poor sleep. For many people, this can include: sensory issues, executive function difficulties, sleep-disordered breathing (such as obstructive sleep apnea), restless leg syndrome and periodic limb movements, circadian-rhythm disorders, melatonin timing differences, narcolepsy, and more.
While the conditions above are not insomnia inherently, they do create the nighttime circumstances and daytime cycles that make developing insomnia much more likely - which is why insomnia so often occurs with neurodivergence.
At ScienceWorks, we specialize in neurodivergence. It's our mission to understand the unique way your brain works to provide effective treatment in an environment that's comfortable and neuro-affirming.
ADHD
Common causes
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Circadian Delay: Many folks with ADHD become more alert late in the evening, making sleep onset and morning schedules difficult
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Hyperfocus and Time Blindness: "one more thing" can lead to another, and another - easily disrupting bedtime routines
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Cognitive Arousal: Idea storms, planning sprints, and worry loops crowd out sleepiness
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Executive Functioning: ADHD frequently impacts executive functioning which, in turn, makes it much harder to manage sleep hygiene and stick with consistent routines
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Co-occurring Conditions: Managing other mental or physical conditions can be harder with ADHD - increasing their impact on daily life; particularly sleep
Autism
Common causes
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Circadian Delay: The natural rhythm of many autistic people is to wake up and go to bed later - this clashes with a forced adherence to neurotypical schedules and social norms that skew earlier
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Sensory Load: Heightened sensitivity to light, sound, textures, and temperature can stress the nervous system - making it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep
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Cognitive Arousal: Overactive thinking, regular routines - particularly the disruption of these routines - can lead to dysregulation and sleep difficulties
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Medication: Autistic people can respond differently to medication (for example, stimulants and antidepressants) than neurotypical people - resulting in sleep challenges that are unexpected and/or poorly understood
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Co-occurring Conditions: Autistic people have an increased likelihood of mental and physical conditions like trauma, OCD, restless leg syndrome, sleep apnea and others - often complicating the approach to healthy sleep
How ScienceWorks can help
We'll use CBT-I to target your insomnia while identifying your full range of mental health needs to build a complete neuro-affirming support system.
Our collaborative team will work with you to:
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Provide assessments to untangle difficult co-occurring symptoms
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Identify specific objectives
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Build an individualized treatment plan that combines a range of dedicated strategies that are matched to clearly defined goals
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Provide comprehensive support to help you experience relief and improvement in all aspects of your life
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
At its core, CBT is designed to identify, explore, and reframe the patterns of unwanted thoughts and behaviors.
For ADHD and autism, CBT strategies can be used to address co-occurring conditions in a way that aligns with your strengths and learning style.
Provided By
Kiesa
Catherine
Ryan
Neurocounseling (NC)
Neurocounseling is a therapeutic approach that combines evidence-based treatment strategies with deeper neurological insights for insomnia and co-occurring conditions.
With NC, you'll learn the science of how your brain works to gain new perspectives on your experiences and your therapy - allowing you to move forward with focus and clarity.
Provided By
Ryan
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT can help you separate the reality of your strengths and values from the harsh internal narratives that can develop from living unsupported in a neurotypical environment.
With ACT, you'll learn to focus on what matters rather than trying to fix what isn't broken.
Provided By
Kiesa
Catherine
Executive Function Coaching
Coaching is great for everyone; particularly folks who are neurodivergent.
EF Coaching works by transforming therapeutic concepts into practical strategies and daily routines that fit your unique strengths and circumstances.
Enhance your therapy with results that you can see and feel.
Provided By
Shane
Insomnia Symptoms*
Night
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Trouble falling asleep (often 30+ minutes)
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Waking up repeatedly during the night
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Early-morning waking and can’t return to sleep
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Feeling wired in bed (racing mind, body tension)
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Lying in bed awake / clock-watching
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Using screens or doing tasks in bed to “tire out”
Day
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Low energy, grogginess, or “brain fog”
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Irritability, low mood, or worry about sleep
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Harder to focus on, remember, or finish tasks
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More caffeine or naps that backfire at night
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Strain on work, school, or relationships
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Avoiding plans because of exhaustion
When to seek support
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Sleep problems ≥3 nights per week
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Distress or daytime impairment from poor sleep
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Growing rules/rituals to “make sleep happen”
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Worsening of other mental conditions (anxiety, depression, trauma, OCD, ADHD, etc.)
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Physical conditions (loud snoring, disrupted breathing, pain, etc.)
If you are experiencing any of the above, therapy may be able to help.
*For example purposes only. Please consult with a qualified professional.
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