Have you ever had this experience? In the dead of night, you’re wide awake, watching the clock tick by, calculating how many hours of sleep you could get if you fell asleep immediately, only to become increasingly anxious? Or perhaps you wake up repeatedly during the night, unable to fall back asleep, feeling exhausted, depressed, and experiencing a sharp decline in work efficiency the next day.
This isn’t a battle you’re alone in. The World Health Organization has listed insomnia as the fourth most common health problem globally, but hope is on the horizon—leading scientists in the field of sleep medicine worldwide have uncovered the truth about insomnia and found effective solutions.
01 The Nature of Insomnia: A Global Perspective on the Waking Night
Traditional thinking often views insomnia as a form of “sleep deprivation,” but international authorities in sleep research have offered a fresh perspective.
Dr. Alexandros Vgontzas, Professor of Psychiatry at Pennsylvania State University School of Medicine, has proposed a revolutionary viewpoint based on decades of research: “Insomnia is a physiological and emotional disorder of excessive arousal, not a lack of sleep.”
Professor Vgontzas, based on objective sleep duration, has proposed two phenotypes of insomnia:
“Short-sleep insomnia”: The most severe phenotype associated with HPA axis (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis) activation, hypertension, type II diabetes, neurocognitive impairment, and death;
“Long-sleep insomnia”: While equally troubling, it carries relatively lower health risks.
This finding explains why some people, despite lying in bed for a long time, still feel exhausted the next day—their sleep quality has been disrupted by a state of excessive arousal.
Professor Phyllis Zhang, tenured professor of neurobiology and director of the Center for Circadian Rhythms and Sleep Medicine at Northwestern University, further points out: “Sleep rhythm disruption is one of the main causes of insomnia in modern people. Light exposure, especially blue light at night, is destroying our natural sleep rhythms.”
02 Global Breakthrough in Insomnia Treatment: Authoritative Methods from Four International Experts
Insomnia treatment has evolved from single-drug therapy to a multi-dimensional, personalized comprehensive intervention model. Below are four effective methods recommended by leading global sleep experts:
Treatment Method | Representative Expert | Core Principle | Suitable Population
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT-I) | Professor Charles M. Morin (Canada) | Breaks the insomnia cycle by changing cognitions and behaviors related to sleep. | Chronic insomnia patients, those wishing to avoid medication.
Sleep Rhythm Regulation | Professor Phyllis Zhang (USA) | Adjusts the biological clock to synchronize with the environment. | Shift workers, cross-time zone travelers.
Precision Drug Intervention | Professor Alexandros Vgontzas (USA) | Uses specific medications for different insomnia phenotypes. | Severe insomnia phenotype with short sleep duration.
Digital Therapy (dCBT-I) | Latest research evidence | Provides convenient CBT-I treatment through digital platforms.
1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT-I): The Internationally Leading Non-Drug Approach
Professor Charles M. Morin, Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology and Director of the Sleep Research Centre at Laval University, Canada, and former President of the World Sleep Society, is a leading figure in the field of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I).
“CBT-I, through systematic non-drug treatments including sleep restriction, cognitive improvement, and sleep hygiene management, is currently recognized internationally as the most effective treatment for chronic insomnia,” Professor Morin emphasized during a visit to the Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine at Peking University People’s Hospital.
CBT-I boasts a success rate of 70-80% and its effects are long-lasting because it fundamentally changes people’s misconceptions about sleep and unhealthy behavioral habits.
2. Circadian Rhythm Regulation: Seizing the “Golden Hour” of Sleep
Professor Phyllis Zhang, Director of the Center for Circadian Rhythms and Sleep Medicine at Northwestern University, and a Distinguished Visiting Professor at Tsinghua University, is globally renowned for her research on sleep rhythms.
“Everyone’s biological clock has subtle differences, and finding your own chronotype is key,” Professor Zhang stated in a lecture at Tsinghua University. “Through timed light exposure and sleep time adjustments, we can recalibrate a disordered biological clock.”
Her research found that napping for more than 30 minutes after 3 PM significantly affects nighttime sleep quality, which coincides with the recommendations of experts from the Chinese Sleep Research Society.
3. Precision Drug Intervention: Targeting Different Insomnia Phenotypes
Professor Vgontzas’s research team found that for “short sleep duration insomnia” (a severe phenotype associated with HPA axis overactivation), drugs that inhibit the HPA axis may be more effective; while for another insomnia phenotype, cognitive behavioral therapy is more effective.
This precision medicine approach breaks away from the “one-size-fits-all” drug treatment model, providing more targeted solutions for patients with different types of insomnia.
4. Digital Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (dCBT-I): A New Wave in Sleep Treatment
A recent study published in *Scientific Reports* in October 2025 shows that digital cognitive behavioral therapy (dCBT-I), combined with smart device monitoring, can significantly improve the severity of insomnia and anxiety symptoms.
This therapy is offered through mobile apps or websites, solving the problem of limited access to traditional CBT-I therapists and making this gold standard therapy more accessible to a wider audience.
03 A Globally Renowned Team of Sleep Experts
The international sleep medicine community is a constellation of stars, these experts are driving innovation in insomnia treatment:
Expert Name Affiliation Main Position and Contributions
Professor Charles M. Morin Laval University, Canada Former President of the World Sleep Society, leading figure in CBT-I
Professor Birgit Högl Medical University of Innsbruck, Austria Former President of the World Sleep Society, authority on parasomnia research
Professor Alexandros Vgontzas Pennsylvania State University School of Medicine, USA Proponent of the insomnia phenotype theory, pioneer in neuroendocrine research
Professor Phyllis C. Zee Northwestern University, USA Authority on circadian rhythms and sleep medicine, Distinguished Visiting Professor at Tsinghua University
Dr. Timothy I. Morgenthaler Mayo Clinic Sleep Medicine Center Recipient of the Nathaniel Klettman Award from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine
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04 The Future of Insomnia Treatment: Three Global Trends
Personalized Sleep Medicine
“The treatment of insomnia in the future will be completely personalized—tailored to your genes, sleep patterns, insomnia phenotype, and lifestyle,” Professor Phyllis Zhang envisioned in a lecture at Tsinghua University.
The Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine at Peking University People’s Hospital has begun to implement this concept. They have developed a diagnostic system based on questionnaires and objective evaluations, including physiological monitoring such as motion tracking devices and multichannel physiological recorders, biochemical tests such as melatonin and iron metabolism, and susceptibility gene testing, as well as a precision intervention treatment system including CBT-I, biofeedback, transcranial magnetic stimulation and phototherapy, and medication.
Technology Empowering Sleep Management
Wearable devices such as smart bracelets and rings are becoming auxiliary tools for sleep monitoring. A recent study published in *Scientific Reports* in 2025 shows that while these devices cannot completely replace professional sleep assessments, they can improve patient adherence to treatment.
Interdisciplinary Collaboration
The essence of sleep medicine is interdisciplinary—from respiratory medicine and neurology to psychology and endocrinology, a complete sleep diagnosis and treatment system is jointly constructed. The Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine at Peking University People’s Hospital, a leading institution in sleep medicine in China, is committed to developing a comprehensive sleep management system capable of treating various sleep disorders and establishing a multidisciplinary, internationally-oriented sleep medicine center.
05 Sleep Improvement Tips You Can Start Tonight
Based on advice from international experts, here are some sleep improvement techniques you can practice tonight:
Establish a regular sleep schedule: Try to maintain consistency even on weekends. Professor Huang Zhili, Chairman of the Chinese Sleep Research Society, emphasizes: “Regular sleep is essential; waking up well during the day leads to a better night’s sleep.”
Optimize your sleep environment: Ensure your bedroom is cool, quiet, and dark. Gao He, former Vice President of the Air Force General Hospital, suggests: “Avoid activities unrelated to sleep in bed (such as watching TV or using your phone) to prevent the formation of unhealthy conditioned reflexes.”
A pre-sleep relaxation ritual: Stay away from electronic devices for an hour before bed and try reading, meditation, or a warm bath. Renowned writer Wang Meng, who achieved a “sleep reversal” from insomnia, believes that cultivating sleep desensitization, optimizing the sleep environment, and appropriate self-suggestion can all regulate sleep to some extent.
Pay attention to diet and exercise: Avoid caffeine after 3 PM, and exercise regularly, but avoid strenuous exercise before bedtime.
Reduce sleep anxiety: Health advocate Bai Yansong shared his experience: “When I stopped worrying about not being able to sleep, I actually started sleeping better.” Professor Guo Xiheng also emphasized: “Anxiety is the primary emotional factor affecting sleep. If you can adjust your mindset in time and undergo appropriate psychological intervention, you can effectively improve your sleep.”
Dr. Timothy Morgenthaler, Director of the Sleep Medicine Center at the Mayo Clinic, suggests: Improve your sleep by making small changes and gradually establishing healthy sleep habits.
As writer Wang Meng, who overcame severe insomnia, said: “Sleep is not just physical rest, but also a form of mental self-regulation.”
Tonight may be the starting point for you to say goodbye to counting sheep and welcome a vibrant morning.