Video: Combining Medications and CBT for Insomnia

Jared Minkel, PhD, Rhode Island Hospital – Visiting Scholar Series

This presentation reviews ways to integrate cognitive behavioral techniques with hypnotic medications. Part 1 focuses on using medications to enhance the initial treatment response. Part 2 focuses on strategies for helping patients taper medications while minimizing risk of insomnia relapse. Case examples of complex patients are included.

Presentation highlights include:

• Review of the 2-process model of sleep and how it informs use of sleep medications
• Explanation of cognitive and emotional factors that make it difficult to discontinue sleep medication
• Discussion of strategies for reducing patients’ anxiety about tapering sleep medications.