Carin Lefkowitz, PsyD

Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder. But the word “insomnia” is thrown around so often that it has lost some of its meaning. I talked about the most common...

Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder, affecting 10 to 15 percent of adults. Given that so many of us are struggling to fall and stay asleep, you would think...

The irony of insomnia is that I can sleep almost anywhere. I easily fall asleep on the couch watching TV, on a train or plane, or on my hammock in...

Insomnia is common following a trauma, and it can stick around if a survivor struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). So will insomnia go away if you treat PTSD? Maybe...

I bet you’re familiar with the pattern of nodding off on the couch, dragging yourself into bed, laying your head on the pillow, and immediately remembering all the things you...

I’ve loved coffee my whole life. It’s normal for children to drink coffee in my family’s culture. I vividly recall having a mug every morning alongside my bowl of Cocoa...

Many people with insomnia, myself included, can become obsessed with tracking their sleep or lack thereof. How many hours did I sleep? How many times did I wake up during the...

After writing an article about how quickly a change in routine could trigger my insomnia, I started reading more about the trait that researchers call "sleep reactivity.” Once I learned...

Every person with insomnia has been advised to work on their sleep hygiene. Most of us have tried to make the suggested changes, yet they rarely work to repair our...

On an academic level, I know that maintaining a routine during the day helps you regulate sleep at night. Eating meals at consistent times helps set your circadian rhythm. Having a...

All of us have bad dreams from time to time, especially in times of stress. While they may disrupt our sleep for a night, they’re not usually enough to cause...

Why aren’t sleep studies used to diagnose insomnia? This question has been asked a lot recently in our community. For people who struggle with chronic insomnia, a sleep study sounds...

I’m grateful that my insomnia responded to cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI). I no longer battle sleepless weeks or months. But like every human, I still have sleepless nights now...

In a previous post, I shared tips for undoing conditioned arousal in the bed and bedroom. I suggested ways to associate the bed with restful sleep in order to improve...

There’s a joke about insomnia that I can relate to: Insomniacs don’t really have trouble sleeping. They can sleep almost anywhere – on the couch, in a waiting room, or in...

If you suffer with chronic insomnia, you may be able to pinpoint when it started. Maybe it began around the time you suddenly found yourself unemployed. Maybe it started while...