Do you dread going to bed, expecting to lie awake, getting more and more frustrated and imagining how tired you’re going to feel tomorrow?

Do you find yourself waking at the same time in the night, then you can’t get back to sleep for what feels like hours? Do you get out of bed feeling no more refreshed than you did at bedtime, maybe even feeling more tired?

Is sleepiness affecting your concentration, maybe you’re nodding off in the afternoons, or feeling drowsy while driving? Is being short of sleep making you snappy, even affecting your relationships?

You’ve probably tried all the sleep hygiene tips you can find. Maybe you’ve given up hope of getting a good night’s sleep, , or maybe you just say ‘I have insomnia’ and that’s it.

It’s not just you, 1 in 3 adults have the same problems. GPs used to prescribe sleeping tablets but that’s quite rare now, and only for a few weeks. Some people find the insomnia is even worse when they stop taking them.

Instead of medication, the ‘gold standard’ sleep therapy is called CBT for Insomnia (CBT-I) and it’s the recommended treatment in the UK, the US, Europe and Australia. It’s not just sleep hygiene but a structured and tailored plan for you personally, designed to improve your sleep to the point you’re comfortable with. Research shows it’s as effective as medication but without any side effects, and the benefits last your whole life. Scarce NHS resources mean it’s usually only offered in hospital sleep clinics, or in some areas you may be offered self-directed CBT-I using an app; the app can be effective but not everyone is comfortable using one, and there’s no doubt that personal sessions are more motivating for many people.

Clients who have worked through the 6 week CBT-I programme with me are amazed to find how much difference it makes. It’s quite normal to go from sleeping 5 or 6 hours or even less, to 7 or 8 hours. It’s such a relief to go up to bed feeling relaxed and expecting to sleep well, and to wake up feeling rested and ready to make the most of the day.

Booking sessions for insomnia is a bit different from other types of counselling because CBT for insomnia is a 6 week programme. You’ll need to commit to having 6 weekly sessions, keeping a sleep diary for those 6 weeks and making significant changes to your sleep habits. If you’re ready to do that now, you can find out more about me and how I work, or you can book 6 sessions straight away. If that’s not possible right now, I recommend you book at least 3 sessions, so you know you’ve got weeks 1 to 3 booked in, then book another one each week. Phone or video are both fine. The booking page asks you to share anything that might be helpful for me to know, please mention insomnia in that space.

If you’ve got any questions to ask before you book, you can phone, text or email.