Sleep · CBT-I
Insomnia Cognitive Work Worksheet
Dismantle the sleep-effort paradox
Sleep effort is the paradox of insomnia — the harder you try, the further sleep runs. This sheet dismantles the beliefs that drive the trying.
Sleep beliefs I hold
- I need 8 hours or I can't function
- One bad night ruins the next day
- If I don't sleep now, tomorrow is over
- I have to fix this tonight
- There's something wrong with me
Testing the beliefs
Belief
Predicted next-day impact
Actual
New sleep permission
'I can have a hard night and still have a workable day.' Or your own version.
Wanting sleep drives it away
The clients who sleep worst are usually the ones trying hardest. CBT-I is largely about stopping the trying.