If you have insomnia and happen to be a perfectionist, neurodivergent, or a chronic overthinker, there’s a good chance sleep restriction therapy didn't work for you.

You didn't fail the protocol—the protocol failed you.

Sleep restriction relies on monitoring, tracking, and forced control—the exact things that fuel a hyperaroused nervous system. As a therapist and recovered insomniac, here is why CBT-I restriction backfires for sensitive brains, and why Acceptance & Commitment Therapy may be a better fit for you.

If sleep hygiene hasn’t worked for you, you’re not doing it wrong. For many chronic insomniacs, rules around bedtime and screen time make things worse, not better. Here’s why letting go of control and rebelling against rigidity might be the key to finally sleeping better.

If you’ve ever struggled with sleep, chances are you’ve tried a ton of remedies. It’s natural to search for quick fixes, like supplements, routines, and tips. But, there’s a downside: all these so-called solutions can fall into a category called "sleep efforts," a term I picked up from physician-turned-insomnia-specialist Daniel Erichsen. Sleep efforts are simply anything we do to force sleep to happen.

They might seem harmless and the zeitgeist of our times is partly to blame. Arguably, we live in a world that pushes a ‘fix it’ mentality. Mainstream insomnia advice tells us to try melatonin, stick to strict routines, and avoid screens before bed. On the surface, it sounds logical, doesn’t it?

Sleep efforts can be tricky though, because they shift the power to external things—like supplements or routines. This subtly send the message that your ability to sleep depends on them.