I have really bad sleep problems, mainly insomnia. It's hard for me to go to sleep at night. Can this be corrected through therapy?
Yes, it can be corrected mainly by cognitive behavioral therapy. Insomnia is a symptoms and has an underlying causes including sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome and other problems. Seeing a sleep specialist can help you a lot to manage this problem. Medications in general are not very effective for chronic insomnia.
https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/sleep_hygiene.html
This is the official list of things to try. Counseling about any problems that keep you from sleeping (misbehaving spouse or kids, mother's illness, etc.) might help some. (Me, I study Italian or do puzzles when I can't sleep.)
Yes, insomnia can be treated quite effectively using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). With CBT, many can avoid sleep medications. A medical evaluation for other sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, that may cause a sleep disturbance is wise.
Ofer Jacobowitz, MD, PhD, FAASM