Why Sleep Changes Everything — And Why a Perfect Bedroom Might Not Be Enough

What is the best treatment for chronic insomnia?

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is consistently rated by clinical guidelines as the first-line treatment for chronic insomnia, recommended above medication. Sleep problems are almost never just about sleep. The most common drivers of chronic sleep disruption are psychological: anxiety and hyperarousal, rumination, conditioned arousal, stress and cortisol dysregulation, and depression. A 2015 meta-analysis of over 20 randomised controlled trials found that CBT-I produced lasting improvements in sleep onset, sleep maintenance, and overall sleep quality, with effects sustained at 12-month follow-up. At The Lyceum, CBT-I is delivered within a whole-person model by Sanah Younis, BABCP-accredited therapist, online across the UK and Gulf.