End the Insomnia Struggle by Colleen Ehrnstrom & Alisha L. Brosse Summary

End the Insomnia Struggle provides a customizable, medication-free program blending Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). It guides readers to address sleep challenges through behavioral adjustments, cognitive reframing, and tracking tools like sleep logs, tailored to individual physiology and lifestyle.

This book is ideal for chronic insomnia sufferers seeking science-backed, non-pharmaceutical solutions. It’s particularly useful for those open to structured self-guided strategies, such as sleep restriction and mindfulness, and individuals needing flexibility to adapt methods to their unique circumstances.

Yes—it’s a practical, evidence-based resource praised for combining CBT-I’s proven techniques with ACT’s psychological flexibility principles. The step-by-step approach, printable worksheets, and troubleshooting tips make it actionable for long-term sleep improvement.

The book integrates CBT-I’s focus on sleep-drive optimization and habit restructuring with ACT’s emphasis on reducing sleep-related anxiety through mindfulness and value-driven behavior. This dual approach targets both physiological patterns and psychological barriers to rest.

Sleep logs are critical for tracking bedtime, wake time, and sleep quality to identify patterns. This data informs personalized adjustments, such as modifying time in bed or addressing environmental triggers, ensuring strategies align with the reader’s specific needs.

Yes—its CBT-I/ACT framework is clinically validated for chronic cases. The book provides tools to break cycles of hyperarousal and rumination, with modules on sleep restriction, stimulus control, and cognitive defusion to address persistent sleeplessness.

Key strategies include:

• Sleep restriction to consolidate sleep drive.
• Stimulus control to reassociate the bed with sleep.
• Cognitive restructuring to challenge unhelpful beliefs about sleep.
• Mindfulness exercises to reduce nighttime anxiety.

It encourages using “effectiveness as a compass”—prioritizing strategies that yield results over rigid adherence to rules. Readers troubleshoot stalls by revisiting sleep logs, adjusting strategies, and integrating new techniques without abandoning progress.

Yes—it advises consulting a healthcare provider first if conditions like sleep apnea or bipolar disorder coexist with insomnia. Medical supervision ensures safety when combining self-guided methods with existing treatments.

Unlike one-size-fits-all guides, it emphasizes personalization through modular strategies. The ACT component also distinguishes it by addressing emotional resistance to sleep efforts, a gap in traditional CBT-I programs.

Yes—downloadable worksheets, audio exercises, and a bonus clinician chapter supplement the text. These resources help implement sleep restriction schedules, cognitive exercises, and mindfulness practices effectively.

This principle urges readers to judge strategies by their real-world results rather than theoretical ideals. For example, if waking earlier improves daytime alertness, it’s prioritized over achieving arbitrary sleep duration goals.