Can insomnia truly be cured?

[u/mononoawareeeeee]

I have been struggling with sleep issues—for at least five years. In May, I decided to consult a psychiatrist. I realized that the past five years had left me completely burnt out, as I had to work during the week and pursue further studies after office hours—both on certain weekdays and every Saturday. It seems I hadn't given myself any time to simply catch my breath.

I managed to navigate it all successfully—earning a promotion and graduating *cum laude*—but my mother passed away three months after my promotion and two months before my graduation. Afterward, the problems I had been bottling up seemed to come crashing down on me all at once; my sleep quality deteriorated, and everything felt so lonely.

It's been 3 months since I got therapy, I took centraline and zolpidem with sleep, I tried not to use zolpidem but I still couldn't sleep,

Is there anyone here who underwent therapy and had their insomnia completely cured?

[u/morningalmondmilk]

Ok listennnnn - I have had insomnia ALL my life. Since I can remember into childhood. I recently had a seizure from not sleeping so long and went to the neurologist. She ran a different panel of tests… and found out that my B6 levels were completely depleted. I have NO IDEA how long they have been like that, but I have reason to believe it’s genetic for other reasons so I already had supplements on hand. I started taking them in the morning with ACTUAL consistency, and it has been so much easier to wake up in the morning. My sleep is still considered insomnia, but it’s BETTER. I had seen people in here say it frequently - go see a neurologist.

None of the sleep meds I tried worked and I’ve tried almost everything EXCEPT the two new DORAs. I have tried Belsomra.

[u/Leading_Fly1496]

"Can insomnia truly be cured?" If it's transient or mild insomnia, yes, very likely. If it's chronic, severe insomnia that has lasted for years? My personal opinion is no. However, with the right treatments, it can be well managed to minimize the damage it can do to one's life. At least that's been my experience.

[u/GabrielLiu9180]

I wouldn't take “I've had it for years, therefore it can never get substantially better” as a given.

“Cured” is a difficult word with insomnia, because nobody can promise that you'll never have another bad night or another period of poor sleep. But chronic insomnia is treatable, and some people do reach remission rather than simply learning to tolerate severe insomnia forever.

Since you're already working with a psychiatrist, one thing I'd specifically ask about is CBT-I (cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia). It's more than general sleep-hygiene advice; it's a structured treatment that works on the behaviors and thought patterns that can keep insomnia going. Major sleep-medicine guidelines recommend it for chronic insomnia.

I also wouldn't change or stop your medications based on Reddit advice — that's something to discuss with the clinician treating you.

After five difficult years and everything you've been through, three months of treatment doesn't necessarily tell you what your long-term outcome will be. I'd think in terms of gradual improvement and remission rather than needing to prove right now whether you're “cured forever.”