What the research shows
Some sleep approaches move the needle. Most don’t.
Here is what large reviews of published research report for each approach, and which ones this course teaches. We separate the core method from sleep hygiene on purpose, because the evidence for them is very different. These are findings about the approaches in general, not a promise of any personal result.
The picture
What helps, and what it costs
First, how much each ingredient adds on its own. Then, how the strength of each approach lines up against the cost of getting it.
What each part adds
How much each part of the method adds to the odds of insomnia lifting, in published research. 1.0 = adds nothing extra.
Cognitive restructuring
Sleep restriction (time-in-bed)
Mindfulness / third-wave
Stimulus control
Sleep hygiene, on its own
Relaxation training
Bars start at the 1.0 no-added-benefit line · a bar to the left means the ingredient added nothing on its own · whisker = the uncertainty range
| Ingredient | Odds ratio | 95% CI | Taught in this course |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cognitive restructuring | 1.68 | 1.28 to 2.20 | Taught as a core ingredient |
| Sleep restriction (time-in-bed) | 1.49 | 1.04 to 2.13 | Taught as a core ingredient |
| Mindfulness / third-wave | 1.49 | 1.10 to 2.03 | Not part of this course |
| Stimulus control | 1.43 | 1.00 to 2.05 | Taught as a core ingredient |
| Sleep hygiene, on its own | 1.01 | 0.77 to 1.32 | Taught as a foundation (not enough on its own) |
| Relaxation training | 0.81 | 0.64 to 1.02 | Not part of this course |
Benefit vs cost
↑ Strength of evidence
Access cost →
- 1Self-guided CBT-I (this course)· Low cost · Large evidence
- 2Self-guided + 1:1 coaching· Mid cost · Large evidence
- 3Therapist-led CBT-I· High cost · Large evidence
- 4Relaxation apps· Low cost · Small evidence
- 5Sleep-hygiene tips & apps· Free · Negligible evidence
| Approach | Access cost | Strength of evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Self-guided CBT-I (this course) | Low cost | Large |
| Self-guided + 1:1 coaching | Mid cost | Large |
| Therapist-led CBT-I | High cost | Large |
| Relaxation apps | Low cost | Small |
| Sleep-hygiene tips & apps | Free | Negligible |
Findings from published research on these approaches in general, not results measured in this course and not a promise of any personal outcome. Educational, not medical treatment.
In and out
What’s in, and what we leave out
The core method
The parts that do the heavy lifting. The course is built around these.
Full behavioural method (CBT-I)
High costAs a complete method, one of the largest effects on insomnia severity reported for any non-drug approach. This course teaches the behavioural core of it for self-help.
van Straten et al. 2018, Sleep Medicine Reviews (87 trials; Hedges g ≈ 0.98 on the ISI).
Sleep restriction (time-in-bed)
Low costOne of the strongest single ingredients for easing insomnia in research.
Maurer et al. 2021; Furukawa et al. 2024 (Hedges g ≈ 0.93 vs control; added odds of remission ≈ 1.49).
Stimulus control
Low costRebuilding the bed-and-sleep link adds meaningfully to the method.
Furukawa et al. 2024, JAMA Psychiatry (added odds of remission ≈ 1.43).
Cognitive restructuring
Low costAddressing unhelpful thoughts about sleep adds the most of any single ingredient.
Furukawa et al. 2024, JAMA Psychiatry (added odds of remission ≈ 1.68).
Self-guided / online CBT-I
Low costDelivered without a therapist, the method still lowered how severe people rated their insomnia vs control.
Seyffert et al. 2016, PLoS ONE (≈ 4-point drop on the Insomnia Severity Index).
Sleep hygiene & relaxation
Useful as a foundation, but on their own research finds little effect on how severe insomnia is. We teach sleep hygiene as the starting point, not the main event.
Sleep hygiene, on its own
FreeLittle independent effect on insomnia severity on its own. We teach it as a foundation, not the workout.
Furukawa et al. 2024, JAMA Psychiatry (added odds of remission ≈ 1.01; interval spans no-benefit).
Relaxation training
Low costNo clear independent benefit for insomnia severity in recent component analyses.
Furukawa et al. 2024; Steinmetz et al. 2024 (added odds of remission ≈ 0.81; interval spans no-benefit).
Other approaches
Approaches with smaller or less consistent evidence for insomnia severity. We leave these out.
Mindfulness / third-wave
Low costHelps sleep quality in some studies, but the evidence on insomnia severity specifically is thinner.
Wang et al. 2020, Behavioral Sleep Medicine (SMD ≈ 1.0 on the PSQI sleep-quality scale).
Paradoxical intention
Low costCan shorten how long it takes to fall asleep vs doing nothing; a small evidence base.
Jansson-Fröjmark et al. 2022, Journal of Sleep Research (10 trials; Hedges g ≈ 0.82 on how long falling asleep takes).
The method as a whole
As a complete method, the effect is large
The full behavioural method (CBT-I)
Large effect
One of the largest effects reported for any non-drug sleep approach in research.
van Straten A et al. (2018), Sleep Medicine Reviews 38:3-16 (87 trials); Hedges g ≈ 0.98 on the Insomnia Severity Index vs control.
Self-guided / online CBT-I
About 4 points
Without a therapist, online CBT-I still lowered scores on the standard insomnia severity questionnaire by about 4 points vs control.
Seyffert M et al. (2016), PLoS ONE 11(2):e0149139; ≈ 4-point drop on the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI).
Sleep restriction vs doing nothing
Large effect
On its own, this single ingredient comes close to the full method’s effect in research.
Maurer LF et al. (2021), Sleep Medicine Reviews 58:101493 (8 RCTs); Hedges g ≈ 0.93 on the Insomnia Severity Index vs control.
These whole-method figures use different measures (standardised effects and ISI points) and are not directly comparable with the per-ingredient chart above.
See where you stand first
The behavioural method isn’t right for everyone. Take the free self-check, then decide whether the course is a sensible thing to try.
Findings from published research on these approaches in general, not results measured in this course and not a promise of any personal outcome. Educational, not medical treatment.