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You've tried everything. Melatonin. Chamomile tea. A weighted blanket. Those "8 hours of rain sounds" YouTube videos. Yet here you are at 2 AM, wide awake, scrolling your phone and wondering why nothing works. If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. Millions of women struggle with insomnia, and research shows these challenges often peak during the hormonal shifts and high-stress years between ages 30 and 60. But here's the thing: most insomnia treatment approaches focus on symptoms, not root causes . And that's why they fail. As a functional wellness practitioner, Dr. Joan Haynes, DNP, sees this pattern constantly, women who've been told their sleep problems are "just stress" or "part of getting older." The truth? Your insomnia is often a signal that something deeper needs attention. Let's break down the 7 most common mistakes people make when treating insomnia, and more importantly, how to fix them naturally. Mistake #1: Relying on Sleep Hygiene Alone You've heard it a thousand times: keep your room cool, avoid screens before bed, stick to a schedule. And yes, sleep hygiene matters , but here's what most people don't know: it's not enough on its own . Research shows that sleep hygiene counseling is the most common response clinicians give for insomnia, yet it's known to be ineffective as a standalone treatment . Think of it like trying to grow a garden by watering the soil but ignoring that the soil itself is depleted. You need more than surface-level fixes. The natural fix: Sleep hygiene should support deeper interventions, not replace them. Address the root causes, hormone imbalances, gut dysfunction, chronic stress , and your sleep hygiene habits will actually start working. Mistake #2: Skipping Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) Here's a stat that might surprise you: 70-80% of people with chronic insomnia respond well to behavioral intervention . Yet most people have never even heard of CBT-I, and many healthcare providers don't offer it or know where to refer patients. CBT-I isn't just "positive thinking." It's a structured approach that retrains your brain's sleep patterns by addressing thoughts, behaviors, and routines that perpetuate insomnia. The natural fix: Look for a practitioner who incorporates behavioral sleep interventions into their approach. At Body Wellness Boutique, we combine functional medicine principles with behavior change strategies to help you reclaim your sleep naturally, without relying on pills. 

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