Anissa Bell, LMFT
Sleep Therapy for Insomnia in California
Sleep therapy helps treat insomnia by addressing both the patterns that disrupt sleep and the anxiety that often develops around it. If you feel exhausted but wired, lie awake despite doing “everything right,” or find yourself worrying about how poor sleep is affecting your days, you’re not alone—and effective, evidence-based treatment is available.
I provide sleep therapy for adults in California, using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) as the foundation, with ACT-I and mindfulness-informed strategies integrated when anxiety is part of what’s keeping sleep stuck.
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​When Sleep Becomes the Problem
Many clients seek sleep therapy after weeks, months, or years of disrupted sleep. What often begins as a stressful period or temporary sleep loss can gradually turn into a cycle of frustration, effort, and worry.
You may notice:
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Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
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Waking early and being unable to return to sleep
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Racing thoughts or mental alertness at night
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A growing fear of bedtime or concern about tomorrow
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Daytime fatigue, irritability, or difficulty concentrating
These experiences are common insomnia symptoms and often respond well to targeted treatment.
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​How Sleep Therapy Helps
Sleep therapy works by helping your nervous system relearn safety around sleep. Instead of forcing sleep or chasing perfect rest, treatment focuses on restoring confidence in your body’s ability to sleep naturally.
My approach is grounded in sleep therapy principles that address both nighttime patterns and daytime behaviors that keep insomnia going.
→ (link once: Sleep Therapy hub if this isn’t already the hub page)
My Approach to Sleep Therapy
CBT-I serves as the foundation of treatment. It is the most researched, first-line treatment for chronic insomnia and has a strong track record of producing lasting improvement.
Depending on what’s contributing to your sleep difficulties, therapy may also integrate:
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ACT-I strategies to reduce struggle, control, and fear around sleep
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Mindfulness-informed techniques to calm nighttime arousal and reduce monitoring
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Behavioral and cognitive tools to address patterns like reassurance-seeking, perfectionism, or hypervigilance
This flexible approach allows treatment to be tailored to how insomnia is showing up for you.
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Sleep Anxiety and Health-Related Worry
For many people, insomnia becomes intertwined with sleep anxiety—the fear of not sleeping and the pressure to make sleep happen.
​​As confidence in the body’s ability to sleep declines, worry about health, functioning, or long-term consequences can increase. Late-night searching, checking, and monitoring may feel helpful at first but often intensify anxiety and arousal.
If this resonates, sleep therapy may also address health anxiety related to sleep
Short-Term Sleep Reset or Longer-Term Work
Some clients work with me short-term, focusing specifically on insomnia and sleep anxiety. Core CBT-I skills are often taught over 6–10 sessions, with the goal of stabilizing sleep and breaking the fear–arousal cycle.
For other clients, sleep difficulties are closely connected to broader patterns such as anxiety, health anxiety, perfectionism, work stress, or relationship concerns. As sleep improves, these patterns often become clearer.
If that happens, we have options.
Some clients choose to continue working together longer-term. Others focus on sleep while continuing with an established primary therapist. I’m comfortable coordinating care when appropriate, and we decide together what makes the most sense for your goals.
There is no required timeline. The focus of therapy can evolve as your needs change.
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Sleep and Daily Functioning
Insomnia doesn’t only affect nights. Ongoing sleep disruption can spill into the day, impacting mood, decision-making, and work performance.
Sleep therapy helps address both nighttime rest and daytime functioning so improvement is felt across your life—not just at bedtime.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do you only do sleep therapy?
No. While sleep is often the entry point, therapy may expand to address anxiety, health anxiety, perfectionism, work stress, or relationship patterns if those factors are contributing to insomnia.
Do you offer online therapy?
Yes. Sessions are conducted via secure telehealth for adults located in California.
How do I know if this approach is right for me?
A brief consultation allows us to discuss what’s happening with your sleep and determine whether this approach feels like a good fit.
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Getting Started
If sleep problems are affecting your nights—or your days—a brief consultation can help clarify what’s going on and whether sleep therapy is the right next step.
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HOW CAN I HELP?
Sleep therapy focuses on treating chronic insomnia and sleep anxiety using evidence-based approaches tailored to your specific sleep patterns and goals. Some clients come to this work as their first step in addressing insomnia, while others are referred by an existing therapist for focused sleep assessment and treatment.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) serves as the foundation of my work and is strongly supported by research as an effective treatment for chronic insomnia. When sleep disruption is closely connected to factors such as anxiety, health anxiety, perfectionism, work stress, or relationship patterns, therapy may also integrate ACT-I, mindfulness, or other supportive approaches.
We begin with a consultation to clarify what’s contributing to your sleep difficulties and determine the most helpful approach.
Short-Term Sleep Reset vs. Longer-Term Work
Many clients work with me short-term to learn CBT-I skills and stabilize their sleep, typically over 6–10 sessions. This focused approach helps reduce nighttime anxiety and rebuild confidence in the body’s ability to sleep.
For others, sleep difficulties are closely connected to factors such as anxiety, health anxiety, perfectionism, work stress, or relationship patterns. As sleep begins to improve, these underlying issues often become clearer, and therapy may naturally expand to address them.
Some clients choose to continue working together longer-term. Others focus specifically on sleep while maintaining an established relationship with a primary therapist. We decide together what feels most helpful, and the plan can evolve over time.
What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I)?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is the first-line, evidence-based treatment for chronic insomnia and is recommended by the American College of Physicians.
CBT-I focuses on identifying and changing the specific behaviors, thought patterns, and sleep habits that keep insomnia going. Rather than relying on medication, treatment is structured and goal-oriented, with strategies designed to rebuild consistent sleep and restore confidence in your body’s ability to sleep.
Throughout treatment, we identify your unique sleep needs, implement targeted changes, and monitor progress as sleep becomes more stable and reliable.
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​Why is this approach different?
You may have previously worked with a therapist to explore emotional factors such as stress, anxiety, grief, or life transitions that affect sleep. While these factors matter, CBT-I takes a behavior-focused and structured approachdesigned specifically to target insomnia.
Treatment follows a weekly plan aimed at:
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establishing healthier sleep patterns
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reducing behaviors that reinforce insomnia
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addressing fear and hyperarousal around sleep
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producing measurable, trackable improvement
For some clients, sleep problems are closely tied to anxiety or health-related worries that intensify at night. In these cases, addressing both sleep and anxiety together is often essential.
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How long does sleep therapy take?
While everyone’s sleep history is different, many clients complete the core components of sleep therapy in 6–10 sessions. Some people notice improvement earlier, while others may benefit from additional support depending on sleep history, anxiety levels, and goals.
Treatment works best when clients actively participate and follow the agreed-upon plan. Progress is monitored throughout, and adjustments are made as needed to support lasting improvement.
Common questions about treatment length, structure, and fit are answered on the FAQ page.
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