Insomnia is one of the loneliest, most frustrating and misunderstood disorders.

And when sleep suffers, everything suffers. 

Sleep shapes our days, how we show up in our work and relationships, every aspect of our health including ability to maintain healthy weight, and whether we even feel like ourselves at all.

This is why sleep sits at the heart of my work, because if you aren’t sleeping, everything else will feel like an uphill struggle.

Insomnia can happen at any age, but it becomes much more common in perimenopause. In one large UK survey, 84% of women aged 45 to 55 reported trouble sleeping. 

Most women who come to me have already done a great deal of research and tried almost everything from magnesium supplements, chamomile tea, to going to bed earlier. These foundations absolutely do matter and I’ve written more about them in my guide to sleep here. But when poor sleep persists for months despite doing everything right, it is often because insomnia has become a habit. And that is what CBTi is able to address.

What is CBTi

CBTi stands for cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia. It is a structured, short term, evidence-based approach designed specifically for chronic insomnia.

CBTi is very effective. A recent meta-analysis found that starting with CBTi gave better long-term remission than starting with sleeping tablets. A recent review found it doubles remission rates compared with sleep hygiene advice alone.

It works on two levels:

• Behavioural: what you do around bedtime and at night. Many of the habits that feel helpful may actually keep you awake.
• Cognitive: what you believe about sleep. This includes the catastrophic thinking that creeps in during a sleepless night, when every worry feels bigger.

Every plan is individual and usually runs over 3 or 4 sessions across several months. It does ask for your commitment, as you will be asked to keep a sleep diary and try changes that may feel counter-intuitive at first.

CBTi works because insomnia is learnt, so it can be unlearnt

There is usually a “never slept well since” moment: a relationship ending, a bereavement, a demanding time at work, a health crisis, or going through perimenopause.

What keeps it going is often what we start doing in an attempt to improve sleep. The bed becomes the place where we lie awake and stress out rather than rest. Unpicking that link is at the heart of CBTi.

What working together may look like

We start by looking closely at your nights and days, using your sleep diary and everything you’ve already tried. From there, I put together a plan around your sleep timing, your night-time habits and your thoughts, and we adjust it as your sleep changes.

The first couple of weeks can feel harder before things start to improve, so I offer regular check-ins to help you through the stage where many people trying it alone give up.

The goal isn’t always the perfect 8 hours, but this may be the outcome. We will work towards you worrying less about sleep, feeling better in the day, and having tools you can come back to whenever life gets unsettled.

I offer CBTi as part of an integrated approach, alongside nutrition, lifestyle and naturopathic medicine. Nutritional and botanical support can help steady blood sugar, support hormonal balance and calm an overstimulated nervous system. I can also blend a personalised Homeobotanical remedy, which many clients like to include as part of their wider sleep support.

CBTi is often the piece that allows everything else to flourish.

While poor sleep is common, especially in perimenopause, it’s really not “just menopause” and something you have to live with.

Hormones are only part of the picture. Stress, blood sugar and metabolic changes, a disrupted body clock, pain, anxiety and low mood, and your habits can all play a role. That’s why I look at the whole of you, your body, your emotions, your mind and your life, and at why your sleep has changed, before we decide together what will help.

I’d love to hear what’s been happening with your sleep and whether CBTi is right for you. If this resonates, book a free discovery call with me.

Magda Jenkins is a registered Nutritional Therapist and Naturopath specialising in women’s health, based in Petersfield, Hampshire. She works with clients locally and globally via Zoom, so it doesn’t matter where in the world you are.

* CBTi isn’t right for everyone without extra care. If you have bipolar disorder, epilepsy, an active eating disorder or a safety-critical job, or if you feel very sleepy in the day, speak to your GP first.

References

CBT-I practitioner training (2026). [Personal course notes.]

‘Initial treatment choices for long-term remission of chronic insomnia disorder in adults: a systematic review and network meta-analysis’. PubMed Central. Link

‘Comparative efficacy and acceptability of cognitive-behavioural therapy for insomnia and its abbreviated versions: a systematic review and network meta-analysis’ (2026) medRxiv [preprint]. Link

Fawcett Society (2022) Menopause and the Workplace. Survey of 4,014 UK women aged 45–55, conducted by Savanta ComRes.