Why can’t you simply force yourself to sleep?
In this episode of Sleep Science Today, Andrew Colsky JD, LPC talks with UK behavioural sleep specialist and airline pilot Mark Dobson about insomnia, sleep effort, and how our attempts to control sleep can sometimes keep the problem going.
Mark explains how Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) approaches the behaviours and patterns that can contribute to persistent insomnia. Mark and Andrew discuss conditioned wakefulness, stimulus control, sleep restriction, and why spending too much time in bed can reinforce unhelpful sleep patterns.
The conversation also explores the role of sleep trackers, clock watching, and constantly monitoring sleep. Mark explains how focusing too much on sleep data can increase anxiety and make people more focused on whether they are sleeping rather than allowing sleep to happen naturally.
Mark also shares his experience working in aviation and discusses the sleep challenges faced by airline pilots, cabin crew, air traffic controllers, engineers, and others who work irregular schedules. They explore circadian rhythms, limited sleep opportunities, and the importance of looking at sleep across the full 24-hour period.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why sleep cannot simply be forced or controlled
How CBT-I addresses behaviours that can maintain insomnia
What stimulus control and sleep restriction involve
How sleep trackers and clock watching can increase sleep anxiety
Why spending too much time in bed can reinforce insomnia patterns
How shift work and irregular schedules affect sleep
Why circadian rhythms matter for people with changing schedules
How sleep-disordered breathing can coexist with insomnia
Why changing your relationship with sleep can be an important part of recovery
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How does CBT-I help sleep?
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is widely recognised as the "gold standard" first-line treatment for chronic insomnia, as recommended by leading medical bodies such as the American College of Physicians. This structured, non-pharmacological therapy works by targeting and changing problematic behaviours and thoughts related to sleep. Notably, CBT-I has demonstrated a 70–80% success rate in improving sleep, according to clinical studies published by the American College of Physicians, which lends strong credibility to its effectiveness.
Traditionally, CBT-I is a multicomponent treatment that combines several approaches, including sleep education, cognitive restructuring, stimulus control, and matching our time in bed to the amount of sleep our bodies are actually producing.
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