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A New Way to Approach Insomnia with ACT

  • Marissa M
  • 2 days ago
  • 3 min read
Woman sitting on bed at 4:00 AM, looking at a phone. Two sheep, a thought bubble, a lamp, pills, and a glass of milk are nearby.
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For many, insomnia can become a nightly battle, a cycle of trying to fall asleep, not being successful, leading to frustration and feeling discouraged. When stress, worry, or ongoing mental or physical health concerns are part of the picture, sleep can start to feel even more out of reach. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) offers a different way of understanding and working with insomnia that focuses less on fixing sleep and more on changing the relationship you have with wakefulness. The strategies below focus on changing how you respond to wakefulness, rather than trying to force sleep. 



Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Insomnia 


  1. Practice Acceptance instead of Struggling 

    • Some people with insomnia get caught in a loop: you do not sleep, you start worrying about not sleeping, your body becomes more alert, and sleep becomes even harder. Let's try steeping back and changing the approach. 

    • For example: 

      • When frustration, worry, or tension shows up, name it. 

        • "This is worrying." 

        • "This is me wanting to control my sleep." 

      • Gently remind yourself that these feelings may be uncomfortable, but they are not harmful and temporary. 

  2. Practice Defusion from Unhelpful Thoughts and Sensations 

    • When lying awake at night, thoughts and physical sensations can feel urgent or threatening. A key strategy in ACT is defusion, the primary goal is to create distance between you and the unwelcomed feelings. 

      • After naming the thought, try welcoming it rather than pushing it away. For example: 

        • "Hello, worrying thought." 

        • "Hello, controlling thought." 

      • For physical sensations, try describing them. For example: 

        • “This is tightness in my shoulders. It feels like a heavy block sitting across the tops of my shoulders.” 

    • Accepting the sensation rather than fighting it can make it feel less overwhelming. This also reduces the likelihood of tensing up further, which can make the sensation feel more uncomfortable or even painful, helping your body settle more naturally for rest. 

  3. Add Mindfulness to the Situation 

    • Mindfulness can help you shift out of your thoughts and into your actual surroundings. Instead of getting pulled into your mind’s stories, you focus on simple, steady sensations.  

    • For example: 

      • Notice the feeling of your sheets or the weight of your blanket. 

      • Pay attention to your breathing, if too fast start to take deep breaths and focus on the feeling of your chest expanding and coming back down 

  4. Values Sleep Action Instead of Rigid Rules 

    • Strict sleep rules can create pressure and make the bed feel stressful. ACT focuses more on flexibility and returning to a healthier relationship with sleep. 

    • Things to try: 

      • Allow calm activities in bed if you are awake, such as reading or listening to something soothing. 

      • Go to bed when you feel tired or sleepy. Either state is fine. 

      • Stay in bed during the night and focus on resting instead of forcing sleep. 

      • Take short naps under 20 minutes if they help you during the day. 

Insomnia can feel like an exhausting cycle, but it does not have to stay that way. ACT offers a gentle, flexible approach that helps you step out of the nightly struggle and create space for rest to naturally return. These strategies can be a meaningful starting point, and many people find that working with a trained therapist helps them apply these skills in a more personalized and supportive way.  If you would like guidance that is tailored to your needs and goals, you can connect with one of our therapists here. We are here to help you build a healthier, calmer relationship with sleep.


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