Untangle A Sleep Doctor on Insomnia, Naps, Alcohol, Caffeine and More. With Dr. Michael Breus
May 12, 2026
Dr. Michael Breus, a board-certified clinical sleep specialist and bestselling author, breaks down what really shapes our sleep. He explores insomnia diagnosis and non-drug treatments. He explains chronotypes like lion, bear, wolf, dolphin and how timing affects sleep, exercise, caffeine, alcohol, and intimacy. He also covers practical tools like melatonin use, breathwork, and meditation aids.
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Use The Rule Of Threes To Define Insomnia
- Diagnose insomnia with the rule of threes: trouble falling asleep >30 minutes, waking >3 times >30 minutes, happening >3 nights/week for >3 months.
- Use this diagnostic threshold to distinguish chronic insomnia from occasional bad nights and guide treatment choices.
Sleeping Pills Often Create A Secondary Problem
- Overprescribing sleeping pills often creates dependency without educating patients on underlying causes.
- Physicians frequently hand out meds at visit end, turning a sleep complaint into a long-term pill problem rather than teaching CBT-I approaches.
Use Sleep Restriction And CBT-I To Break Pill Dependence
- Use cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) including sleep restriction to rebuild sleep efficiently.
- Restrict time in bed (often 5–6 hours) to increase sleep drive, then gradually increase time asleep while tapering meds with physician support.
