Insomnia &
Sleep Disorders

Insomnia disorder is characterized by persistent difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep, or early morning awakening, occurring at least 3 nights per week for at least 3 months, despite adequate opportunity for sleep — and producing significant daytime impairment. It is among the most common and most undertreated conditions in mental health.

Insomnia is not simply a symptom of something else — it is a primary condition in its own right. While it frequently co-occurs with depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and substance use, insomnia often persists even after co-occurring conditions are effectively treated, because the behavioral and cognitive patterns that maintain it become self-perpetuating.

The perpetuating factors in chronic insomnia — compensatory behaviors (sleeping in, napping), arousal conditioning (bed becomes a place of wakefulness rather than sleep), and dysfunctional beliefs about sleep — are the targets of CBT-I (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia), the most evidence-based treatment available.

Sleep disorders interact bidirectionally with virtually every mental health condition treated at Rize OC. Insomnia worsens depression, anxiety, PTSD, and substance use recovery — and these conditions in turn worsen insomnia. Comprehensive mental health treatment must address sleep as a clinical priority.