When CBT-I hasn’t held.
You may have done everything right: the sleep window, the routines, the work on how you think about sleep. And still your nights feel fragile. That isn’t a failure of effort. It usually means the work happened one level above where the problem sits.
What CBT-I does well
CBT-I is the recommended first treatment for insomnia in the UK, and for many people it works. It changes sleep behaviour and the thinking that keeps sleep anxious, through sleep restriction, stimulus control and reframing. If you haven’t tried it, it is worth trying, ideally with your GP’s guidance.
Where it can stall
Behavioural tools assume the system underneath can respond. For people who have been running on effort for years, it often can’t. The nervous system stays on watch, breathing stays high and fast, and digestion and daily rhythm drift. You can follow every rule and still wake at 3am, because the state that wakes you hasn’t changed.
You can’t schedule your way out of a system that never comes off duty.
What Sleepology does differently
| CBT-I works on | Sleepology works on |
|---|---|
| Sleep behaviour and the thoughts around sleep | The state of the system beneath both |
| A standard protocol | An individual diagnostic of what is unstable in you |
| Sleep as the target | Sleep as the outcome |
| A sleep diary | Night awakenings, HRV and daytime clarity |
Not rivals
Sleepology doesn’t replace medical care, and it doesn’t ask you to give up what has helped. Many people come to it after CBT-I, and some use both. If your sleep problems are new or severe, or come with other symptoms, speak to your GP first.
Where to begin
Start with the Inner Stability Quiz to see your pattern, or book the Inner Stability Diagnostic for a full assessment, a written report and a protocol built around what it finds.