Cognitive therapy for insomnia

Cognitive therapy is a generic term, referring to a broad set of therapeutic techniques designed to address the maladaptive thought processes associated with a specific disease or disorder. As the term cognition encompasses all aspects of thinking (i.e., perception, attention, memory, problem solving, attitudes, beliefs, attributions, and expectations), the breadth and range of cognitive therapies is extensive, and most certainly has not yet been exhausted. It should also be acknowledged that even predominantly behavioral interventions (Chapter 24) should be considered within a cognitive context, in that, behavior is often determined, and as such challenged and changed, through cognitive processes. However, the aim of this chapter is to examine the contribution of cognitive therapies to the management of insomnia, and therefore the focus will be on interventions that are predominantly cognitively orientated.