Sleep and Insomnia Assessment
A free self-assessment for adults in British Columbia
You have probably been told to keep the room dark and put the phone down after nine. If that had been the problem, you would have solved it by now.
This assessment follows the criteria clinicians use to diagnose insomnia disorder, and it screens for the other sleep conditions that get mistaken for it. You get a severity score, the pattern your answers describe, and what CBT-I does about it. Nothing is held back behind an email address.
Sleep Assessment
Key Takeaways
- Insomnia disorder is defined by five things: the symptom, how often, how long, what it costs you, and whether you had the chance to sleep.
- Apnea, restless legs, and a misaligned body clock all look like insomnia and need a doctor rather than CBT-I.
- How long your insomnia has lasted does not predict how well it responds to treatment.
What the Questions Are Based On
Insomnia disorder has a definition. It has five parts, and the assessment checks each one.
- Trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking too early
- At least three nights a week
- Going on for three months or longer
- Costing you something during the day
- Happening even when you had the chance to sleep
Eight questions map onto those five parts. The score comes from those eight and nothing else. Your results show which parts your answers meet.
It is a screening tool, not a diagnosis. It knows nothing about your health or your history.
Not Everything That Looks Like Insomnia Is Insomnia
Sleep apnea. Restless legs. A body clock running hours behind your schedule. Acting out dreams. All of them wreck a night, and none of them respond to insomnia treatment.
Seven questions screen for these. They do not count toward the score.
If one comes up, your results say so and point you to your family doctor first. Starting CBT-I on top of untreated apnea is months spent on the wrong thing.
Plenty of people have both. If the apnea gets treated and you still cannot sleep, insomnia treatment is still there waiting. The order is what matters.
More on how these conditions differ: what insomnia is.
What Happens If You Book a Consult
Fifteen minutes, free, by video or phone. We go over what your nights are doing and whether CBT-I fits. If something else would serve you better, you will hear that instead.
- Six to eight weekly sessions, online, anywhere in British Columbia
- Treatment is tailored to your sleep diary data, so we know what works and what does not
- No referral needed. Here is what a first session looks like
- MSP does not cover it. Many extended health plans do. See coverage in BC and flexible fees
Registered Clinical Counsellor in British Columbia, BCACC #21951, trained in CBT-I and in ACT for Insomnia. BC CBT-I treats insomnia in adults across the province. It is the only thing the practice treats. More about the approach.
Questions About the Assessment
Is this a diagnosis?
No. It is a screening tool. It follows the diagnostic criteria closely, but a real diagnosis accounts for your health and your history. Treat this as an informed starting point.
What does my score mean?
It runs from 0 to 25 and measures how severe your symptoms are. Not how treatable they are. A high score describes a hard present. It says little about how you will respond to treatment.
My results mentioned sleep apnea. Now what?
See your family doctor and ask about a sleep study. Snoring on its own means little. Snoring plus witnessed pauses, or falling asleep during the day without meaning to, is what warrants a look. If apnea gets treated and your sleep is still poor, come back.
Are my answers stored?
No. They stay in your browser and disappear when you close the page. If you ask for your result by email, only your address and the summary get sent.
Mine has lasted years. Is it too late?
No. Duration does not predict response. Twenty years is as treatable as two months, because treatment targets what keeps insomnia going now. Most long-standing cases have only ever been offered sleep hygiene advice, which does poorly on its own.
Should I stop my sleeping pill first?
No, and not without your prescriber. Withdrawal causes bad nights that have nothing to do with your underlying sleep. CBT-I is often used as scaffolding for a taper instead: the sleep improves first, then the dose comes down. See the supported taper.
Can I take it again?
Yes. Retaking it a few weeks into treatment gives you a second data point, which beats trying to remember how last week went. Same idea as the sleep efficiency calculator and the other insomnia tools.
Talk It Through
Fifteen minutes, free, by video, anywhere in British Columbia. If CBT-I is not the right fit, you will hear that too.
Book a free consultationNo cost, no obligation. Or email therapist@bccbti.com.
References
- 1.American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.). American Psychiatric Association Publishing.
- 2.Qaseem, A., Kansagara, D., Forciea, M. A., Cooke, M., & Denberg, T. D. (2016). Management of chronic insomnia disorder in adults: A clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians. Annals of Internal Medicine, 165(2), 125-133. https://doi.org/10.7326/M15-2175
- 3.Riemann, D., Espie, C. A., Altena, E., Arnardottir, E. S., Baglioni, C., Bassetti, C. L. A., ... Spiegelhalder, K. (2023). The European Insomnia Guideline: An update on the diagnosis and treatment of insomnia 2023. Journal of Sleep Research, 32(6), e14035. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.14035
- 4.Choosing Wisely Canada. (n.d.). Insomnia: Sleeping pills are not the only answer. choosingwiselycanada.org
Related Reading
This assessment is educational and does not constitute medical advice or a clinical diagnosis. If your sleep is causing you distress, speak with your family doctor. In British Columbia you can reach 811 for health advice at any hour.