Things Rick Hasn't Tried Yet

There are interventions in the sleep medicine literature I have not tried. Dr. Chen has recommended one of them at every appointment for three years. I am documenting the list here, and the reasons I haven't tried each one, because the documentation may be the thing that makes me finally act on them.

CBT-I (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia)

The first-line evidence-based treatment for chronic insomnia. Thirty years of clinical research. More evidence behind it than every product I have reviewed combined. Cost: $0-200 for a digital program. Dr. Chen has recommended it at every appointment since November 2022.

I have not done CBT-I because I have been buying products instead. This is documented in the purchase history of this site. I am aware of what this means. I am starting CBT-I in July and will track the data systematically.

Light Therapy Lamp

A 10,000-lux lamp used for 20 minutes in the morning regulates circadian rhythm through morning light exposure. Cost: $40. I have not bought it because I have been buying things that cost significantly more. It is going in the July protocol alongside CBT-I.

The Data I Expect

CBT-I works through behavioral change not product use, which means my tracking infrastructure will capture any change without a new purchase introducing a confound. The data will be cleaner than most of my previous trials. Dr. Chen specifically mentioned this. He said the July trial design was "the most methodologically sound intervention plan we have discussed." I took notes. He took notes. We both took notes about the same meeting.