Overcoming Insomnia with Functional Medicine and Neurofeedback
A Whole Person Approach to Restful Sleep
Insomnia can leave you exhausted, anxious, and unable to focus. At our clinic, we look beyond symptoms to uncover the root causes of sleep problems. With Functional Medicine, we evaluate hormones, stress patterns, and nutrient imbalances that may disrupt rest. Our Neurofeedback programs help retrain brainwaves, calm the nervous system, and promote deep, restorative sleep. If you are tired of sleepless nights, our integrated approach can help you finally get the rest your body needs.
We also support recovery with integrative chiropractic therapies such as acupuncture, Frequency Specific Microcurrent (FSM), soft tissue therapy, Cold Laser Therapy, Ultrasound, and Chinese Cupping creating a whole-body approach to lasting sleep health.
Insomnia
Struggling to fall asleep, stay asleep, or wake feeling rested is more than frustrating — it can take a toll on your energy, mood, and overall health. At O’Keefe Matz Functional Health Clinic, we address insomnia with a holistic approach that looks at the root causes, from stress and nervous system imbalance to lifestyle and nutrition. One of the therapies we use is neurofeedback, a safe and non-invasive method that helps train the brain into healthier patterns for relaxation and restorative sleep.
Research on Neurofeedback for Insomnia
This is your sub-headline
Over the past decade, several studies have explored how neurofeedback can help people with insomnia retrain their brains for better sleep. Here’s a closer look at the findings:
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Hammer et al. (2011)
This pilot study looked at people with chronic insomnia who received neurofeedback using two protocols: sensorimotor rhythm (SMR) training and individualized Z-score training. Participants showed significant improvements in both sleep quality and daytime functioning. Importantly, these benefits were maintained weeks after treatment, suggesting neurofeedback helps create lasting brain changes. Read study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21956655/ - Cortoos et al. (2010)
This study tested a home-based program combining neurofeedback and biofeedback in patients with primary insomnia. Results showed improvements in both objective sleep measures (like time spent asleep, measured through polysomnography) and subjective sleep quality (how rested patients felt). This suggests neurofeedback can be effective even when delivered remotely.
Read study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20155326/ - Schabus et al. (2017)
In this controlled trial, patients with primary insomnia received neurofeedback sessions targeting sleep-related brainwave patterns. Compared to the control group, participants showed enhanced sleep quality, fewer nighttime awakenings, and changes in brain activity (measured on EEG) that indicated more stable sleep cycles.
Read study: https://academic.oup.com/brain/article/140/4/1041/3056330
What This Means for Patients
Together, these studies suggest that neurofeedback does more than just help people relax before bed. By training the brain to strengthen certain rhythms especially the sensorimotor rhythm (SMR) neurofeedback helps regulate brain activity patterns that support deeper, more restorative sleep. Unlike sleep medications, which often only mask symptoms, neurofeedback promotes lasting changes in the way the brain functions
