CBT-INSOMNIA COURSES
Live | Self-paced
Say goodbye to sleepless nights and hello to the sleep that you deserve
Testimonials
Also see case studies of our former patients
About Dr. Sarah Adams
Dr. Sarah Adams, MD, MSc, FRCPC (psychiatry) is a doctor who specializes in psychiatry. She graduated with high distinction from the University of Toronto with an undergraduate degree in the social sciences. She then completed a Masters degree in public health from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in London, England. After finishing medical school, she completed a 5-year residency training program in psychiatry at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. Dr. Adams runs two provincial workshops – CBT Insomnia and an ADHD Skills workshop – that have been taken by thousands of people across British Columbia. She lives in B.C. with her husband and daughter.
CBT-insomnia courses
CBT-i: Live online workshop series
- 6-week duration. Weekly 1.5 hour session via Zoom online video during daytime hours (either 9:00 – 10:30 AM (PST) or Noon – 1:30 PM (PST).
- Workshop materials delivered by email 30 minutes prior to each session.
- Available to British Columbia, Canada, residents only. In contrast, our self-paced online course is not restricted geographically.
- Cost of the Zoom workshop is covered for BC residents with a doctor’s referral, except for a one-time $45 registration fee to cover the cost of our growing team.
- Numerous positive testimonials written by former patients. Also see case studies of our former patients.
- Spaces are limited to ensure a personalized and effective learning experience.
- Curriculum belowLearn more in the Q&A below and in case studies of our former patients.
CBT-i: Self-paced online course
We created an online course for people who would prefer to complete CBT-Insomnia in their own time in a more flexible format. It is a great fit for motivated individuals who want to jump in right away and who would prefer to work through the course on their own rather than engaging in a live workshop during the workday.
- Recorded video course.
- Self-paced. Can watch anytime.
- Solo-style learning rather than online classroom.
- Content is the same as what is included in the live CBT-i workshop.
- Includes approximately 9 hours of recorded CBT-i lectures.
- Curriculum below
CBT-Insomnia curriculum
for both Live and Self-paced courses
Week 1: The Science of Sleep: Understand your body’s circadian rhythm, learn the framework for insomnia, and begin using the essential Sleep Diary tool.
Week 2: Behavioural Reset: Master the key behavioural recommendations of CBT-I, including sleep scheduling and time-in-bed restriction, to break the cycle that maintains insomnia.
Read more...
Week 3: Mindset and Anxiety: Develop powerful skills to calm the busy, racing mind, address negative sleep thoughts, and reduce the anticipatory anxiety that keeps you awake.
Week 4: Creating the Conditions for Sleep: Debunk common sleep myths and learn strategies to calm your nervous system and create the optimal environment for sleep to naturally happen.
Week 5: Medication & Substance Management: Deep dive into the truth about sleep aids, effective strategies to taper off sleeping medications, and how common substances (caffeine, alcohol, etc.) impact your rest.
Week 6: Long-Term Success: Learn how to prevent a relapse, manage sleep during life changes (like hormonal shifts or aging), and build a reliable next-steps plan for lifelong healthy sleep.
Reclaim Your Nights: The 6-Week Sleep Transformation
You deserve to wake up feeling rested, clear, and energized. Our CBT-Insomnia programs move beyond quick fixes, delivering the practical, evidence-based skills required to fundamentally rewire your relationship with sleep.
This isn’t just theory—it’s a focused program designed to help you interrupt the cycle of sleeplessness and build a foundation for deep, restorative rest.
🚀 Advantages of the Live Workshop
Interactive & Personalized Learning: Engage in real-time discussion and feedback from Dr Sarah Adams, MD, MSc, FRCPC (psychiatry). This dynamic environment encourages questions, immediate feedback, and the practical, personalized application of new skills.
Supportive Community & Connection: Learn alongside a small, supportive cohort of individuals facing similar challenges. You’ll build meaningful connections, foster a safe space for sharing, and receive encouragement.
Built-in Accountability: The weekly, scheduled format provides consistent motivation and structure. This built-in accountability is highly effective for successfully integrating new habits and seeing measurable progress.
🏃 Advantages of the Self-Paced Course
Ultimate Flexibility & Control: Learn entirely on your schedule, at your own speed, from anywhere with an internet connection. Start, pause, and resume lectures whenever it suits your life.
Instant Access: Start immediately—no need to wait for a scheduled session to begin. You can jump right into the material and begin your learning journey today.
Extended Access to Materials: Enjoy 6 months of full access to all course lectures and materials. This allows you to re-watch key lessons as many times as you need to reinforce your learning and solidify new skills.
Ready to transform your nights?
With spaces limited, secure your spot in this live workshop series today, or our self-paced course
Questions & Answers
Insomnia can include any one or more of the following difficulties with sleep: 1) difficulties falling asleep, 2) difficulties staying asleep, 3) waking up early in the morning and being unable to return to sleep, and 4) being dissatisfied with your sleep. Some people with insomnia struggle with only one of these challenges, whereas other struggle with all 4.
CBT-Insomnia stands for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia. It is an evidence-based therapy that treats insomnia. It is particularly effective at treating long-lasting or chronic insomnia. CBT-Insomnia improve your sleep while you are engaged in the workshop, but it can also help prevent a return of your insomnia in the future.
CBT-Insomnia is considered the gold-standard treatment for insomnia, which can include difficulties falling asleep or difficulties staying asleep. It is more effective than sleeping aids and is internationally recognized as the first-line, or initial, recommendation for insomnia.
No! Improving your sleep hygiene is only one small component of what is covered in CBT-Insomnia. For most people with chronic insomnia, improving sleep hygiene alone is not enough to get at what is maintaining your insomnia over time. CBT-Insomnia can illuminate what you might be missing and help you get your sleep back on track.
CBT-Insomnia is considered a safe treatment. At the beginning of the program when the ‘time-in-bed restriction’ component is first started, individuals can experience day-time sleepiness and reduced alertness and should ensure that they are safe. However, this improves as you progress through the 6-week workshop.
This is a 6-week course. Each week, you will watch a new 90-minute presentation by Dr. Adams that will include recommendations to practice in your own life. None of the recommendations are particularly time-consuming (e.g. maximum 15-minutes each); however, the power of CBT-Insomnia comes when people practice all of the recommendations consistently for the 6 week program.
Individuals generally start to see improvements in their sleep within the first 1 – 2 weeks of getting started. As you progress through the 6-week program, you can expect to see further improvements week to week. CBT-Insomnia helps you address what is maintaining your insomnia over time and can therefore also help you reduce the likelihood of struggling with insomnia again in the future.
Yes! CBT-Insomnia is still effective for individuals on one or more sleeping aids. This includes prescribed sleeping pills, over-the-counter sleep aids or recreational substances, such as cannabis or alcohol. In addition, CBT-Insomnia can provide you with the knowledge and tools to help you taper off of a sleep aid with your GP after completing the 6-week CBT-Insomnia program.
CBT-Insomnia is an effective treatment for teenagers and adults of all ages. It is also effective for people who have other medical or mental health challenges, such as chronic pain, cancer, PTSD, anxiety, depression and females in perimenopause.
No! However, individuals with a history of seizures or Bipolar Disorder should not complete one component of CBT-Insomnia (something called “time-in-bed restriction”). Adjustments can be made to make the program safe for these individuals and Dr Adams can walk you through those adjustments in the workshop.
Yes! CBT-Insomnia is still an effective treatment for individuals in perimenopause or who are post-menopausal.
The people who see the most improvement in CBT-Insomnia are the ones who consistently follow all of the program’s recommendations on a daily basis throughout the 6-week program. This will lead to the quickest improvement in your sleep. Once you are sleeping better, you can then start to add in a bit more flexibility with the recommendations.
Yes! Many individuals have insomnia as well as another sleep disorder, such as sleep apnea, nightmares or restless leg syndrome. CBT-Insomnia can still be an effective treatment for these individuals to address their insomnia; however, separate treatment is needed to treat the other sleep disorder.
Our team does not offer individual CBT-Insomnia treatment or follow-up.
However, if you decide to sign up for our self-paced option, you will have access to all of the videos for 6 months, which will allow you to engage in the content more than once. For some people, hearing the information more than once helps the information “click” in a new way.
If you feel that you would benefit from a few individual sessions after completing CBT-Insomnia, please consider contacting Changeways Clinic about working with psychologist Dr. Sylvia Nay. MSP does not cover the cost of psychologists but some private insurance companies do. This may be helpful for problem-solving barriers, enhancing adherence to strategies, and/or individualizing treatment.
If you would prefer individual CBT-Insomnia offered virtually, please consider contacting Changeways Clinic about working with psychologist Dr. Sylvia Nay. MSP does not cover psychologists but some private insurance companies do.
Please contact Changeways Clinic for more information on costs and availability: https://www.changeways.com/drnay
Currently our live workshops are always held on weekdays, either from 9:00 – 10:30 AM (PST) or from Noon – 1:30 PM (PST).
If you are interested in the live Zoom workshop that is covered by MSP, a doctor’s referral is required. We also accept referrals from nurse practitioners and walk-in clinic doctors.
Our self-paced CBT-insomnia workshop does not require a doctor’s referral.
