Sleep Problems & Insomnia Treatment & Evaluation in Austin and Surrounding Areas
Living with sleep problems or insomnia can feel like your nights are a tug-of-war you never win—tired all day, suddenly wired at bedtime, then staring at the ceiling while your mind flips through to-do lists, what-ifs, and yesterday’s conversations. You check the clock (1:12… 2:03… 3:27), bargain with yourself for “just three hours,” and wake up feeling foggy, irritable, and not quite yourself. Even good days shrink because you’re conserving energy, canceling plans, and dreading the next night. It’s not just “bad sleep”—it’s a brain-body loop of hyper-alertness that keeps you on edge and makes rest feel unreliable. If this sounds familiar, reach out to me. I’ll help you understand what’s driving your sleeplessness and rebuild the conditions for steady, restorative sleep—so nights feel calmer and days feel like yours again.
Understanding Sleep Problems & Insomnia
Plain-English definition: Insomnia is difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking too early—despite having the opportunity to rest—often leaving you feeling unrefreshed.
Adults vs. stereotypes: Insomnia isn’t just lying awake all night; for many adults, it’s inconsistent sleep, tossing and turning, or waking up feeling like you didn’t sleep at all.
Common symptoms:
Trouble falling asleep despite feeling tired
Waking up frequently during the night
Early morning awakenings without returning to sleep
Daytime fatigue, irritability, or brain fog
Why it’s often missed: Many people try to “push through” or blame lifestyle stress, not realizing that chronic insomnia can be linked to anxiety, depression, hormonal changes, or other medical issues.
My Diagnostic Process
Comprehensive intake — uncovering your sleep habits, health history, and environmental factors.
Evidence-based assessments — tools like sleep diaries and validated insomnia scales.
Differential diagnosis — ruling out sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, depression, anxiety, or medication effects.
Personalized plan — targeting root causes, not just symptoms.
Treatment Tailored to You
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I): Proven first-line approach to retrain your brain and body for better sleep.
Lifestyle optimization: Sleep hygiene, light exposure management, and relaxation techniques.
Medication support: When appropriate, short-term or adjunctive medication while behavioral changes take root.
Ongoing support: Adjusting strategies as your life circumstances and sleep patterns evolve.
Why My Practice is Different
Most advice about sleep problems boils down to “go to bed earlier” or “drink less coffee.” I provide science-backed, actionable strategies that go far beyond generic tips, so you:
Understand the deeper causes of your insomnia
Learn techniques that actually reset your sleep system
Build sustainable habits for lifelong healthy sleep
Actionable Steps You Can Take Today — Sleep Problems & Insomnia
If you’re awake right now (5–10 minutes)
Lower arousal fast. Inhale through your nose for 4, exhale for 6–8. Longer exhales nudge the nervous system toward “rest.”
Release tension. Slowly scan: unclench jaw, drop shoulders, soften belly, relax hands and feet.
Stop clock-watching. Turn the clock away. Checking time spikes stress chemistry.
Cognitive shuffle. Picture neutral, random objects (lemon… mailbox… kite… teacup). No story, just items. When your brain tries to “solve,” gently return to the next object.
Paradoxical intention. Whisper, “I don’t have to fall asleep; I’ll just rest.” Taking off the pressure often lets sleep come.
If you’re still awake after ~15–20 minutes, get out of bed (low light). Read something calm, do a puzzle, or listen to a boring podcast. Return to bed only when sleepy. This prevents your brain from pairing bed = “awake/stressed.”
Build a reliable wind-down (30–60 minutes before bed)
Dim the environment. Lower lights; avoid overheads.
Close your loops. Jot tomorrow’s top 3 tasks on paper; your brain can stand down.
Worry dump. Give your mind 5 minutes to list concerns, then write one next step for each. Close the notebook.
Warm up to cool down. A warm shower/bath 60–90 minutes pre-bed helps your core temp drift down—your body’s natural sleep cue.
Gentle body signal. Light stretch, legs-up-the-wall, or a slow walk. Nothing vigorous.
Screens last. If you use them, enable night mode and keep them at arm’s length.
Morning anchors that set tonight’s sleep
Wake time = fixed. Choose a wake time you can keep 7 days/week; consistency is the strongest circadian lever.
Get outside ASAP. 5–10 minutes of morning light within 30–60 minutes of waking (shade or cloud is fine).
Move early. A short walk or light exercise signals “daytime” to your body clock.
Delay caffeine 60–90 minutes after waking; cut it off ~8 hours before bed.
Afternoon & evening rules that actually matter
Naps: If you need one, 10–20 minutes before 3 pm. Longer/late naps steal from night sleep.
Meals: Aim to finish heavy meals ~3 hours pre-bed. Protein + complex carbs at dinner can steady nighttime blood sugar.
Alcohol: It sedates but fragments sleep. If you drink, keep it light and early.
Hydration: Front-load water earlier; taper in the evening.
Make your bedroom do its job
Dark, cool, quiet. Blackout curtains or a sleep mask; temperature on the cooler side; white noise if helpful.
Bed = sleep & intimacy only. No laptops, work, or long scrolling sessions.
Supportive surface. Pillow under knees (back sleepers) or between knees (side sleepers) to reduce fidgeting.
If you wake at 2–3 am
Don’t evaluate the night. Label thoughts: “Planning,” “What-ifs,” “Noise.” Labels defuse stories.
Low-light reset. Leave bed, keep lights dim, do a calm activity until sleepy.
Breath + count. 4/6 breathing while counting backward from 300 by 3s—just hard enough to occupy worry.
“Stimulus control” (the insomnia keystone)
Go to bed only when sleepy, not just when the clock says so.
If awake ~15–20 minutes, leave the bed and return when sleepy.
Get up at your fixed wake time even after a rough night. Tonight will be better because of it.
Gentle sleep scheduling (a safe “sleep compression lite”)
Pick a fixed wake time you can keep daily.
For 7 nights, don’t get into bed before a target bedtime that gives you ~30–60 minutes less time in bed than usual (this increases sleep pressure).
When you’re falling asleep within ~20 minutes and waking less, move bedtime earlier by 15 minutes every 3–4 nights until you’re getting the total sleep you need.
(If you’re running on very little sleep, keep a minimum of ~6 hours in bed while you adjust.)
Thought tools that calm a busy mind
Thought parking. Keep a notepad bedside. One line per intrusive thought; tell your brain, “Parked for morning.”
One-sentence reframe. “I can be tired tomorrow and still function.” Removing catastrophe softens arousal.
If-then plan. “If I wake at 3:00, then I’ll breathe 4/6 for 3 minutes and switch to the cognitive shuffle.”
Tech hygiene that helps
Phone sleeps elsewhere. Charge outside the bedroom or across the room.
Auto-limits. Use a 15–30 minute sleep timer on audiobooks/podcasts; night mode scheduled at sunset.
No doom-scrolling in bed. If you’re scrolling, you’re not sleeping—move to a chair.
Move + light: timing matters
Vigorous workouts earlier in the day are ideal; if evenings are your only time, finish vigorous work ≥3 hours before bed.
Evening light discipline. Keep rooms warm/dim; avoid bright overhead LEDs close to bedtime.
For travel & shift challenges
Jet lag mini-protocol: Start shifting your sleep/wake by 15–30 minutes per day before travel. On arrival, seek morning light for eastward travel; late-afternoon light for westward. Keep naps short.
Night shifts: Bright light at the start of shift; sunglasses on the commute home; dark, cool room for daytime sleep; short “anchor” nap before shift if needed.
Micro-habits that add up
Bedtime cue stack: Dim lights → write tomorrow’s top 3 → wash face/brush → 5-minute stretch → in bed. Same order, nightly.
Gratitude glance: Name one thing that went okay today. Assures the brain the day is complete.
Clutter sweep (60 seconds). Clear bedside surfaces; visual calm reduces mental noise.
Weekly reset (15–20 minutes)
Review your sleep log. Note average time in bed, sleepiness at bedtime, wake after sleep onset.
Adjust by 15 minutes. If you’re still lying awake at bedtime, move bedtime later; if you’re falling asleep quickly and waking refreshed, move it earlier.
Re-commit to anchors. Fixed wake time, morning light, evening dim.
One-page sleep plan (keep it visible)
My fixed wake time: [____]
Wind-down list (5 items): [____, ____, ____, ____, ____]
If I’m awake at night, I will: leave bed after ~20 min → low-light calm activity → return when sleepy.
Caffeine cutoff: [time]
My “okay to be tired” mantra: [write yours]
Track one simple metric for 7 days
Choose just one:
Minutes of morning outdoor light,
Days you hit your fixed wake time,
Nights you left bed when awake >20 min, or
Caffeine after noon = 0
Small, consistent wins train your sleep system—one week at a time.
Sleep Problems Often Come with Company
Insomnia often co-occurs with anxiety, depression, stress, chronic pain, and hormonal changes. Treating sleep problems effectively means addressing the full picture, not just the bedtime routine.
Serving Austin and Beyond
I provide insomnia and sleep problem treatment for clients in:
Austin, Barton Creek, Bastrop, Bee Cave, Bertram, Blanco, Briarcliff, Brushy Creek, Buda, Burnet, Cedar Park, Circle C, Creedmoor, Dripping Springs, Elgin, Florence, Georgetown, Granger, Great Hills, Hays, Hutto, Jarrell, Johnson City, Jonestown, Jollyville, Kyle, Lago Vista, Lakeway, Leander, Liberty Hill, Lockhart, Luling, Manor, Marble Falls, Martindale, Meadowlakes, Mountain City, Mustang Ridge, New Braunfels, Niederwald, Pflugerville, Point Venture, River Place, Rollingwood, Round Rock, San Marcos, Smithville, Steiner Ranch, Sunset Valley, Taylor, The Domain, The Hills, Thrall, Volente, Webberville, Weir, West Lake Hills, Wimberley, Woodcreek, Zilker, and throughout all of Texas!