The Insomnia Workbook for Teens

“This book addresses many of the complaints and issues that I hear every day when I talk to teens and parents in the office. The stories are familiar, and the solutions are logical, effective, and practical. I recommend it enthusiastically to any teen who wants to improve their sleep habits.”
—Nelson Branco, MD, FAAP, pediatrician with over twenty years’ experience who practices at Tamalpais Pediatrics in Marin County, CA; and associate clinical professor in the department of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco

“Finally, an evidence-based, easy-to-read, and sure-to-work guide for teens with sleep problems. What took so long! I will be using this sleep science workbook with all the teens who come to me seeking solutions to the age-old problem of insomnia. Tompkins and Thompson are incredibly thorough, addressing the many micro parts that in combination will help set up teens for healthy sleep and wellness. They have designed playful yet informative assessments for teens to better understand their personalized needs, as well as to examine the impact of their values, attitudes, thoughts, and actions on sleep. Not only do the authors present effective ideas and plans to implement at night, but do so for the daytime as well, since as they the experts know, how well we sleep has a lot to do with how we spend our days. This workbook is a much-needed addition to our youth literature, supporting youth in one of their most important daily tasks—getting their Zzzs!”
—Katherine Martinez, PsyD, RPsych, psychologist in practice at the Vancouver CBT Centre in Vancouver, BC, Canada, and coauthor of Your Anxious Mind

“Tompkins and Thompson have produced a concise, well-organized, and useful tool that should be on the bookshelf—or better yet in the hands—of any clinician working with teens. Asking about sleep and providing useful interventions to promote adequate sleep are among the most useful interventions clinicians can make for a large majority of teens in the US. For teens who recognize the problem and want to solve it, this workbook offers straight talk and practical solutions.”
—Glen R. Elliot, PhD, MD, chief psychiatrist and medical director at the Children’s Health Council; clinical professor emeritus of child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco; clinical professor (Affiliated) of child and adolescent psychiatry at Stanford School of Medicine

“Sleep problems are among the most common complaints that plague adolescents in their passage through high school. Although they will admit to sleep issues, they seem unwilling to accept guidance regarding remedies. The Insomnia Workbook for Teens will provide an invaluable resource for both health care professionals and parents. If the individual has the motivation to want to improve the problem, the workbook provides the means for the teen to fix themselves. In a very logical and readable approach, Tompkins and Thompson guide the sleep-deprived adolescent though exercises, sprinkled with case histories, that will allow the teen to achieve a self-paced solution.”
—Richard L. Oken, MD, FAAP, pediatrician for over forty years at East Bay Pediatric Medical Group, and clinical professor in the department of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco

“Sleep problems in young patients are on the rise and contribute to many other emotional as well as behavioral difficulties. Good self-help tools are desperately needed by patients and clinicians alike. Tompkins and Thompson masterfully fill this need with this outstanding, valuable resource. Written in a clear, developmentally accessible, and engaging manner, the workbook offers pertinent information and actionable exercises for improving sleep practices. I enthusiastically recommend the workbook and encourage its widespread use!”
—Robert D. Friedberg, PhD, ABPP, professor, head of child emphasis area, Palo Alto University

“Tompkins and Thompson have crafted a step-by-step masterpiece to support teens in battling insomnia and achieving healthy sleep patterns. The activities included are evidence-based, grounded in theory, and demonstrated effective. This book is a must-have for parents and teens who are struggling with insomnia, as well as clinicians working with this population.”
—Eric Storch, PhD, McIngvale Presidential Endowed Chair and Professor, Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine

“Rarely has there been a guide so clear, concise, and practical for adolescents as The Insomnia Workbookfor Teens. Tompkins and Thompson cut through the hyperbole of arguments and blame with a teenager to guide all readers towards a realistic, straightforward path through this all-too-common nocturnal obstacle towards healthy rest and sleep. Informative and realistic, The Insomnia Workbook for Teens should be on the desk of every pediatrician, therapist, and parent!”
—Brad D. Berman, MD, FAAP, practitioner of developmental-behavioral pediatrics in the San Francisco Bay Area for thirty years at Progressions: Developmental Pediatrics; clinical professor of pediatrics at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital

“The importance of sleep to one’s well-being cannot be overstated. Unfortunately, its importance is too often overlooked or not sufficiently prioritized. Effective nonmedication treatment for insomnia is available, and fortunately, in The Insomnia Workbook for Teens, Tompkins and Thompson make it highly accessible to teenagers. The practical skills they offer can be useful to teens working through their insomnia on their own and as an adjunct to professional assistance when that is required. I enthusiastically recommend this workbook to teens struggling with insomnia as well as their parents and health care professionals!”
—R. Trent Codd, III, EdS, LPC, BCBA, executive director of the Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Center of Western North Carolina, and coauthor of Teaching and Supervising Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Practice-Based Research

“Adolescent sleep problems are an epidemic concern with serious mental, physical, and educational consequences. The Insomnia Workbook for Teens is a much-needed and extremely valuable resource to help youth learn healthy sleep habits and effective strategies to manage the stress and anxiety that typically underly sleep problems. Written by two leading mental health experts, the workbook provides a highly structured and easy-to-follow program that guides teens through a series of steps to identify and correct the full range of factors, including diet and excessive screen time, contributing to poor sleep. This workbook is a must for teens, therapists, and parents.”
—John Piacentini, PhD, ABPP, professor and director; Center for Child Anxiety, Resilience, Education and Support; UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior

“Psychology and neuroscience have established numerous ways in which sleep contributes to creating and maintaining a healthy body, brain, and mind. To a large degree, education and interventions related to sleep have not kept pace with the important discoveries of the science. This marvelous book provides easy-to-use tools to assist teens in developing and maintaining healthy sleep. And the tools work for adults as well. Better sleep makes everything better.”
—David E. Presti, clinical psychologist; professor in the department of neurobiology at the University of California, Berkeley; and author of Foundational Concepts in Neuroscience