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When Is the Best Time to Heal Your Insomnia?
- Marlee Boyle
- 7 days ago
- 7 min read
January has a funny way of making us reflect.
New year.
New habits.
New intentions.
…and often, the same old exhaustion.
If you’re starting another year feeling tired, wired, frustrated, or lying awake wondering “Why can’t I sleep?”, you are very much not alone.
Insomnia, sleeplessness, and ongoing sleep problems are the most common reasons people find their way to us at Sleep Works.
And every January, we notice the same thing.
The January Pattern We See Every Single Year
We’re Leah and Marlee, the co-founders of Sleep Works, and we are genuinely obsessed with helping people sleep.
It’s our favourite puzzle to solve, and we are very good at solving it.
We love figuring out why someone can’t sleep, what’s keeping them stuck, and how to help their nervous system finally feel safe enough to rest.
We spend our days talking with people who can’t sleep, have trouble falling asleep, wake up in the middle of the night, can’t stay asleep, or feel trapped in cycles of chronic insomnia; and we wouldn’t want to be doing anything else.
(Seriously, try to talk to us about anything else. We’ll find a way to turn the conversation back to sleep).
Every January, for years now, we meet with people who say things like:
“I’ve been dealing with this for a year or two now.”
“I meant to reach out last year.”
“I actually booked a consult before… I just wasn’t ready.”
‘I’ve had your name on a sticky note on my desk for a year now.”
And sometimes, when we look back, we realize we’ve actually spoken to them before. One January, then the next… and sometimes the next after that.
Same sleep struggles.
Same exhaustion.
Another year of just trying to get through.
This doesn’t happen because people don’t care about their sleep. It happens because they’re waiting for the “right time.”
There’s No Perfect Time. But the Best Time Is Right Now
We hear this all the time:
“I’m too stressed right now.”
“I’m going through a breakup.”
“Work is overwhelming.”
“My health is complicated.”
“This just isn’t a good time.”
And we understand why it feels that way.
But after years of insomnia coaching, sleep therapy, and running CBT-I programs, here’s what we know to be true:
There’s no perfect time to fix your sleep.
But the best time is right now.
If you can improve your sleep even a little during a hard season, everything about that season becomes more manageable.
One Hour a Week Can Change Everything
One of our recent CBT-I Program graduates joined a group while going through a very contentious divorce. Legal stress, emotional upheaval, financial uncertainty, all of it.
She asked us, “Should I wait until things settle down?”
Instead, she decided to give herself one hour a week which is the time it takes to attend a CBT-I group session and practice the skills.
That one hour wasn’t indulgent.
It was survival.
And something remarkable happened.
Her situation didn’t suddenly improve, but she slept.
She had steadier emotions. Clearer thinking. More capacity to handle what she was already carrying.
We say this often because it matters:
One hour a week for yourself is not asking too much.
It’s the bare minimum.
👉 If you’re wondering whether you could make that work in your life, this is exactly what our free 15-minute consultation is for.
What Is CBT-I (and Where Does It Fit)?
CBT-I (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia) is an evidence-based, first-line insomnia treatment for chronic insomnia. It’s considered the gold standard and works better long-term than sleeping pills.
CBT-I helps with:
Trouble falling asleep
Waking up during the night
Waking too early
Anxiety about sleep
Long-term sleep deprivation
Feeling stuck in cycles of “can’t sleep”
That said, CBT-I is not the only thing we do at Sleep Works.
There are many causes of insomnia and sleep problems, and our role is to help you understand what’s actually keeping you up at night; whether CBT-I is the right fit, or whether another approach is needed alongside it.
👉 That’s why we always start with a free 15-minute consult, to get clarity before jumping into anything.
“But I Have Chronic Pain. I Can’t Sleep Because of My Pain”
This is one of the biggest misconceptions we see.
Many people assume:
“CBT-I won’t work for me because my insomnia is caused by pain.”
In reality, sleep and pain are deeply connected.
Poor sleep increases pain sensitivity
Sleep deprivation lowers pain tolerance
Better sleep improves how the nervous system processes pain
You do not need to get your pain under control before working on sleep.
In fact, sleeping better often makes chronic pain easier to manage.
That’s why we offer CBT-I groups adapted specifically for chronic pain and illness, with pacing, flexibility, and nervous-system support built in.
👉 Curious whether insomnia treatment could still help you? Book a free 15-minute consultation and we’ll talk it through.
“But I Have ADHD. My Brain Just Isn’t Wired For Sleep.”
We’re really glad you brought this up.
ADHD insomnia is real, and incredibly common.
People with ADHD often struggle with:
Racing thoughts at night
Difficulty winding down
Delayed sleep schedules
Feeling “tired but wired”
Long-standing difficulty sleeping
CBT-I can be incredibly effective for ADHD, but only when it’s adapted properly.
At Sleep Works, we run ADHD-informed CBT-I groups, with:
Flexible structure
Support for consistency challenges
Strategies for hyperfocus and bedtime avoidance
Nervous-system-friendly tools
If you’ve ever thought “I can’t sleep because my brain won’t shut off,” you’re not broken, and you’re not alone.
👉 Our free 15-minute consultation is the best place to explore whether ADHD-adapted CBT-I or another approach makes sense for you.
“But I Can’t Afford It. Money Worries Keep Me Up at Night”
We want to talk about this one openly, because it’s real and it comes up a lot.
Many people tell us:
“I want help, but money is already a stressor.”
“I’m lying awake worrying about finances… adding another expense feels impossible.”
“I can’t afford to sleep better right now.”
First, we want you to hear this clearly:
Money should never be the reason someone keeps suffering with insomnia.
If finances are part of what’s keeping you up at night, that’s exactly when support matters most, not when everything is already easy.
That’s why we always encourage people in this situation to book the free 15-minute consultation.
And we mean free. Not a hidden sales pitch, not pressure-filled, not awkward.
What the Free 15-Minute Consultation Really Is (and Isn’t)
The free consult is about:
Understanding what’s actually keeping you up at night
Figuring out whether insomnia itself is the problem, or a symptom of something else
Helping you get clarity — not convincing you to buy something
Often, we can offer one or two practical strategies right away that you can start using immediately, even if you’re not in a position to commit to a program.
Insurance Coverage (This Surprises a Lot of People)
If you have Canadian private or employer-provided health insurance, our CBT-I group program is often partially or fully covered under mental health therapy.
Many people don’t realize this until we talk it through together.
That’s another reason the consult is helpful. We can help you understand:
Whether your insurance might apply
What documentation you’d need
What your real out-of-pocket cost would be (if any)
Lower-Cost Options Exist, Too
If a live group or 1:1 support isn’t the right fit financially, we also offer:
A lower-cost, self-paced online CBT-I course
Other free educational resources that may still help move your sleep in the right direction
We’ll talk honestly with you about whether those options would actually be helpful for your situation, not just push them as a default.
And If Money Truly Is the Barrier…
Then please, still book the free 15-minute consultation.
We would much rather have a real conversation with you than have finances be the reason you continue to lie awake night after night. We’ll figure out a solution that works for you.
Sleep matters.
Your wellbeing matters.
And you deserve support — even when money is tight.
👉 If money worries are keeping you up at night, start with the free 15-minute consultation. We’ll meet you where you are and talk through options that work for you.
Other Common “But What Ifs…”
What if I do shift work?
Shift work insomnia is common and treatable. CBT-I helps improve sleep efficiency and sleep quality even with irregular schedules. We offer shift-work-adapted CBT-I programs for night and rotating shift workers.
What if I’m in perimenopause or menopause?
Menopause insomnia is incredibly common. CBT-I is now widely recommended as a first-line treatment. We offer perimenopause- and menopause-specific adaptations in our programs.
What if I’m going through cancer treatment?
Sleep disruption during oncology treatment is common and valid. We offer oncology-informed sleep support, with compassion and flexibility at the center.
Why Waiting Rarely Helps Insomnia
If you’ve been Googling:
“Why can’t I sleep?”
“How can I fall asleep faster?”
“How to stay asleep through the night”
“Natural insomnia remedies”
“How to get off sleeping pills”
…it may be time for support that goes beyond sleep hygiene tips alone.
Insomnia rarely fixes itself. And you don’t get bonus points for suffering longer.
So… Is Now the Right Time To Heal Your Insomnia?
We’ll leave you with this:
If worrying about sleep is affecting your life, now is the right time.
You don’t need perfect circumstances.
You don’t need another exhausted year.
You don’t need to wait until you hit a breaking point.
Sleep isn’t a luxury or afterthought.
It’s the foundation.
And you’re allowed to start with it, right now.
We’ll help you get to the bottom of what’s keeping you up, and talk through whether CBT-I, sleep coaching, or another approach is the best next step.
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