Individual therapy
Therapy for Sleep & Nervous System Regulation in Ho Chi Minh City
Restoring sleep, calming chronic overactivation and rebuilding the everyday rhythms that recovery depends on.
What it is
What is therapy for sleep and nervous system regulation?
Structured psychological treatment for people who sleep badly and cannot switch off. It is built on CBT for insomnia (CBT-I), the recommended first treatment for long-lasting insomnia, together with work on calming an overactive nervous system. 10 weekly sessions of 50 minutes, in English, at Saigon Pearl, Binh Thanh, or online, 90 USD per session.
Recognising it
When sleep stops working
- Lying awake with a racing mind, or waking at 3 or 4 a.m. and not getting back to sleep
- Tired all day but wired at night
- Dreading bedtime, or trying harder and harder to sleep
- A body that stays on alert: tension, a fast heart, feeling on edge
- Relying on alcohol or screens to come down
- Sleep that has stayed broken after a stressful period has ended
How sleep works
Why sleep and the nervous system belong together
Three things decide whether you sleep.
Sleep drive
Pressure to sleep that builds the longer you are awake.
Body clock
The rhythm that sets when sleep comes easily.
Arousal
The alert state that can override both.
Insomnia that lasts is usually kept going by arousal and by the habits we build to cope with bad nights: going to bed early, lying in, napping, trying hard to sleep. This is why sleep hygiene tips alone rarely fix it, and why treatment works on both sleep and the nervous system.
The structure
A structured path: 10 sessions in three phases
Phase 1 · Sessions 1–3
Understanding and resetting sleep
- 1AssessmentSleep history, what keeps the problem going, health, mood and stress, and a check for problems that need a doctor first (such as sleep apnoea or restless legs). Start a simple sleep diary. Agree on goals.
- 2How sleep worksSleep drive, body clock and arousal, applied to your own diary. A fixed wake-up time and a wind-down hour before bed.
- 3Rebuilding the bed–sleep connectionA personal sleep window based on the diary, and the rule of only being in bed when sleepy. This is the most demanding step and the one that most often turns sleep around.
Phase 2 · Sessions 4–7
Calming the nervous system
- 4Calming the bodyPractical ways to bring physical arousal down: breathing, muscle relaxation, and noticing early signs of overactivation. The sleep window is adjusted from the diary.
- 5Quieting the racing mindDealing with worry and planning before bedtime instead of in bed, and what to do with your mind when you wake at night.
- 6Changing your relationship to sleepWorking on the fears and rules that keep sleep effortful, such as “If I don’t sleep, tomorrow is ruined”, and learning to let sleep come rather than chase it.
- 7What keeps you switched on during the dayStress, pressure, emotions that get pushed aside during the day and surface at night, and boundaries with work and screens. Caffeine, alcohol and exercise timing.
Phase 3 · Sessions 8–10
Rhythm and recovery
- 8Everyday rhythmsMorning light, regular meals and movement, social rhythm, and handling travel, jet lag or irregular hours.
- 9ConsolidatingWidening the sleep window as sleep improves, and dropping the coping habits that are no longer needed.
- 10Keeping itA personal plan for bad nights and stressful periods, so a setback does not turn back into insomnia.
Along the way
What to expect
- Weekly sessions are strongly recommended, so changes have time to take hold between sessions.
- Short tasks between sessions, and a sleep diary throughout.
- Sleep often gets a little worse for a week or two after the sleep window starts, before it gets better.
Practical details
Formats and fee
Questions
Frequently asked questions
No. Sleep hygiene tips cover habits such as caffeine and screens. CBT-I works on what keeps insomnia going: an unsteady sleep pattern, a bed that has become linked with lying awake, and a nervous system that stays on alert.
10 weekly sessions in three phases: understanding and resetting sleep (sessions 1–3), calming the nervous system (sessions 4–7) and rhythm and recovery (sessions 8–10).
That is common, and the structure is built for it. The second phase works directly on the stress response, so sleep and the strain behind it are treated together. You can also read about recovering from work burnout and therapy for leaders and professionals. If worry or panic is the main problem, during the day as well as at night, anxiety therapy may be the better place to start.
Yes. Sessions can take place online by secure video.
90 USD per 50-minute session.
Take the first step
A confidential 15-minute consultation to see whether this is the right approach for your sleep.
Schedule a confidential 15-minute consultation