Question 1

What is CBT-I?

Accepted Answer

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is recommended first-line for chronic insomnia by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (2021) and the American College of Physicians (2016), with supporting NIH-published research. It has five components: sleep restriction therapy, stimulus control, sleep diary tracking, sleep efficiency monitoring, and cognitive restructuring. Unlike sleeping pills, CBT-I addresses the behavioral and cognitive patterns that perpetuate insomnia rather than masking symptoms.

Question 2

Is CBT-I the same as regular therapy?

Accepted Answer

No. CBT-I is a specific, structured protocol — not open-ended talk therapy. It's a structured behavioral protocol with a cognitive component. The sessions are structured, the exercises are defined, and the outcomes are measurable. It typically runs 6–8 weeks with a trained therapist. SleepShift delivers the same protocol digitally.

Question 3

How is CBT-I different from sleep hygiene advice?

Accepted Answer

Sleep hygiene is advice about habits and environment — don't use screens before bed, keep a cool room, avoid caffeine after 2 PM. Useful for people with mild or occasional sleep disruption. CBT-I is a behavioral change protocol that directly addresses the mechanisms of chronic insomnia: excessive time in bed, conditioned arousal, and catastrophic thinking about sleep. They're different in kind, not just degree.

Question 4

What's the success rate?

Accepted Answer

70–80% of people with chronic insomnia improve with CBT-I, per published reviews of the clinical literature (e.g. the Trauer et al. 2015 meta-analysis). 'Success' typically means achieving sleep efficiency above 85% and maintaining it. CBT-I consistently outperforms sleeping pills in long-term follow-up — effects are maintained at 6-month and 12-month checkpoints.

Question 5

Who is CBT-I appropriate for?

Accepted Answer

Adults with chronic insomnia — difficulty falling or staying asleep, occurring at least 3 nights per week, for 3 or more months, causing meaningful daytime impairment, not primarily caused by another medical condition. If that's you, CBT-I is appropriate and evidence-supported.

Question 6

Who is CBT-I NOT appropriate for?

Accepted Answer

CBT-I is not appropriate as a standalone treatment if: you have untreated obstructive sleep apnea (you need that treated first), you're in active psychiatric crisis, you have a sleep disorder primarily caused by a medical condition (pain, neurological, etc.), or you're dealing with severe shift-work disorder. If you're unsure, check with your doctor before starting.

Question 7

How long does it take?

Accepted Answer

8 weeks for the core program. Daily sleep diary takes under 60 seconds each morning. Weekly check-in takes about 5 minutes. The cognitive restructuring session (Phases 3–8) takes 10–15 minutes once per week. Total active time: under 15 minutes per day.

Question 8

How much time per day does this require?

Accepted Answer

Under 15 minutes on most days. The sleep diary is the daily commitment — it's a mobile-optimized form you complete each morning, designed to take under 60 seconds. The weekly check-in and cognitive session add about 20 minutes once a week.

Question 9

What if I miss a day of the sleep diary?

Accepted Answer

Missing a day is not catastrophic, but it affects accuracy. You get a provisional sleep window after about 2 logged nights, it's confirmed around night 5, and from then on adjustments use your last 7 days of diary data. Missing entries mean incomplete data, which means less precise adjustments. The app will flag missing entries and adjust its calculations accordingly. Try not to miss more than one day in a week.

Question 10

Is the AI a therapist?

Accepted Answer

No. The AI-assisted cognitive restructuring module is a structured tool that applies a specific protocol — identifying sleep distortions and guiding reframes. It is not a therapist, does not provide general mental health support, and cannot handle complex psychiatric presentations. It's a protocol delivery tool, not a conversational AI.

Question 11

Can I do this alongside medication?

Accepted Answer

In most cases, yes — CBT-I is evidence-supported as a standalone and in combination with medication. Some sleep medications affect the sleep diary data (they may suppress some stages of sleep), but this doesn't prevent the protocol from working.

Question 12

What happens after Phase 8?

Accepted Answer

You move to maintenance mode: weekly check-ins to monitor efficiency, no new protocol requirements. 3 months of maintenance is included with your membership. Your completed program and 8-week efficiency graph are available for as long as you keep your account. If insomnia returns, the program is available for re-entry.

Question 13

How much does it cost?

Accepted Answer

One membership: your first week is free, then $29.99/month. It includes the full 8-week CBT-I program and ongoing maintenance access while subscribed. Cancel anytime in one click from account settings.

Question 14

How does the first week work?

Accepted Answer

Your first week is completely free — we collect a card but charge $0.00 today. You log your baseline sleep each morning so SleepShift can set an accurate first window, and you see your real sleep efficiency numbers. On day 8 your membership begins at $29.99/month unless you cancel first. Cancellation is one click from account settings.

Question 15

What is your refund policy?

Accepted Answer

14-day money-back guarantee from your first charge — with the free first week, that's your first $29.99 monthly payment on day 8. Email support@sleepshift.app within 14 days of your first charge for a full refund of everything you've paid.

Question 16

Who processes payments, and how do I cancel?

Accepted Answer

Payments are processed by Stripe — we never see or store your card number. You can cancel anytime in one click from Settings. There are no cancellation fees, and you keep access until the end of the period you've paid for.

Question 17

Do I need a prescription?

Accepted Answer

No. SleepShift is a structured wellness program, not a medical device. You can purchase and begin without any referral, prescription, or clinical involvement.

Question 18

Is SleepShift a medical device?

Accepted Answer

No. SleepShift is a structured wellness program based on the CBT-I protocol. It is not a medical device, does not require FDA clearance, and does not diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or medical condition.

Question 19

Who reviewed the protocol?

Accepted Answer

The SleepShift protocol was reviewed by Dr. Candice Seti, Psy.D. — a licensed clinical psychologist and Certified Insomnia Treatment Clinician. The review covered protocol fidelity, safety contraindications, the cognitive restructuring module design, and the sleep window adjustment algorithm.

Question 20

Is my sleep data private?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Your sleep diary data is stored in encrypted form in our database (Supabase/Postgres) and is never sold to third parties. Two AI providers power specific features: in-app Reflect sessions run on the OpenAI API (OpenAI's API terms prohibit using API data to train their models), and the public-site support chat runs on the Groq API (messages are processed only to generate the answer). Full details in our Privacy Policy.

Question 21

How quickly do I get my sleep window, and is it safe?

Accepted Answer

You get a provisional sleep window after about 2 logged nights, and it's confirmed around night 5 as your baseline data comes in. From there it adjusts in 15-minute steps based on your last 7 days of sleep efficiency — and it never goes below the 5.5-hour safety floor. The window algorithm was reviewed by Dr. Candice Seti, Psy.D.

Question 22

What if I have sleep apnea?

Accepted Answer

CBT-I is not appropriate as a standalone treatment for insomnia primarily caused by untreated obstructive sleep apnea. If you have a sleep apnea diagnosis, get that treated first — then CBT-I may be appropriate for any remaining insomnia. If you suspect sleep apnea (snoring, gasping, excessive daytime sleepiness), talk to your doctor before starting any sleep protocol.

Question 23

Should I tell my doctor I'm doing this?

Accepted Answer

It's a good idea, especially if you have comorbid conditions. Most doctors will be supportive — CBT-I is the clinical standard they'd recommend anyway.

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