Welcome to NYC Sleep Doctor

Janet Kennedy, Ph.D. is a licensed Clinical Psychologist and sleep doctor with years of specialized experience treating sleep disorders.

For more than a decade, Dr. Kennedy has been helping individuals and families break out of the cycle of bad sleep through her work at NYC Sleep Doctor. Dr. Kennedy creates tailored treatment programs–using scientifically proven techniques–and provides the support you need to succeed in reclaiming your sleep.

We all know that sleep is essential to our health and daily functioning. But when sleep problems arise, our coping strategies can make things worse. Dr. Kennedy can help you to stop relying on medication and reclaim your sleep, managing the anxiety and frustration that goes along with bad sleep and making methodical changes to your schedule, habits, and strategies. You don’t have to settle for exhaustion.

Dr. Kennedy provides CBT-I, the industry standard for adults struggling with insomnia. She also uses CBT, ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), and traditional, insight-oriented therapy for treatment of a broad range of issues.

What’s new at NYC Sleep Doctor?

May 2020

What day/week/month is it? After 2 months of quarantine, it’s hard to know. This is a very stressful time for everyone and we are all figuring it out as we go along. I have been as well. I miss going to the office and seeing clients in person. But I have been busy running NYC Sleep Doctor from my home office. I have been doing therapy as usual–for insomnia, anxiety, adjustment, depression. The mental health toll of this crisis is substantial. I have also been giving my new online seminar, The New Sleep Rules: Getting the Sleep You Need During the Crisis, to various groups and corporate gatherings. I’ve been working with parents to get their kids’ sleep on track in this new reality. And I’ve been coaching people across the country as they adapt their lives to chronic stress, isolation, and innumerable life changes. Add to that: working on The Sleep Tune-Up podcast, being a guest on Twisting The Plot, answering a lot of press requests, and, you know, PARENTING! This is a lot, folks. But we are getting through it. If I can be helpful, please be in touch.

April 2020

As we continue doing our part to flatten the curve of COVID-19, I am happy to report that my home NYC Sleep Doctor HQ is functioning very well. Although I prefer to provide therapy face-to-face, I am relieved to be able to offer the continuity of remote services during this crisis. And I’m also happy to report that I am expanding my remote services to include Sleep Coaching for adults and children. Because Sleep Coaching is not a medical service, I am able to provide strategic help to individuals and families regardless of location. Please use the contact form for more information.

March 2020

These are stressful times as we all manage the information, recommendations and restrictions associated with COVID-19. As we take action to slow the spread of the virus in our communities, it is ever more important to take care of ourselves–including our mental health. Social distancing creates a barrier to traditional psychotherapy. However, I am equipped to provide services remotely through a secure, HIPAA-compliant video portal. In fact, I have been providing video sessions for years and am glad that this system is in place. Most insurance companies will reimburse for video sessions as they do for face-to-face sessions. However, I encourage my patients and clients to contact their provider to confirm that out-of-network benefits cover these services. If you reside in New York State or Colorado, where I am licensed, we can meet for video sessions to work on sleep, anxiety, mood, or any issues that are troubling you. Please contact me for details.

February 2020

It’s winter and there have been a lot of developments here at NYC Sleep Doctor.

I am excited to announce that I am developing a podcast pilot entitled “The Sleep Tune-Up” with veteran podcast producer Ellen Horne of Story Mechanics. The premise of the show is to provide on-air guests with expert coaching to resolve a variety of common adult sleep problems. Whether your problem is quieting your racing mind at night, being too much of a night owl and a disaster in the morning, relying too much on sleep aids, trouble getting back to sleep after waking in the night, or just feeling like sleep is a battle, we would love to talk to you! Guests will get a personalized “tune-up” plan and listeners will follow along with their progress.

If you are interested in being a guest, please fill out this form.

In other news, I recently formed a new business, NYC Sleep Consulting LLC, to encompass my expanding non-clinical work, such as brand partnerships, speaking, consulting and coaching. I have recently been working as a brand ambassador for Leesa Sleep, Soma Intimates, and Super 8 by Wyndham with more exciting opportunities to come.

In the meantime, keep an eye and ear out for me on February 25. I’ll be doing a satellite media tour in partnership with Super 8 as we launch the second annual #JourneySafe campaign to combat drowsy driving in advance of National Sleep Awareness Month and Daylight Saving Time.

Sleep well!

September 2019

Summer has flown by and now it’s officially Fall. My kids are back into their school routines and I am gearing up for an exciting season here at NYC Sleep Doctor HQ! This is always a busy time of year for my practice–Fall is a great time to get sleep into shape.

I’m trilled to announce a new brand partnership with Leesa Sleep as they get ready to launch a fantastic new product. Stay tuned for details.

And I’m continuing to work with Moshi Twilight as they take the US by storm with their brilliant sleep stories app for kids. I’ll be on Instagram Live @twilightmoshi on September 25 at 1pm EST to answer your questions about bedtime resistance.

More exciting partnership news to come!

Late July 2019

It’s been a busy summer so far. I find the working mom juggle to be dramatically harder in the summer, even as my kids are getting more independent. I guess I’m saying that I feel like I have earned my vacation. So I’m heading off today for two glorious weeks with my family of four. My plan was always to unplug, but I just found out that our beach house does not have wifi, so it will be very hard to cheat! Just time to unwind, relax, play board games, work on my infinite craft project, and get the best sleep of my year. I’ll be plugging back in on August 13. Until then, sweet dreams!

June 2019

It was a long winter and a cold spring here in NYC, but it’s gorgeous today in Brooklyn as I’m writing this. I thought I’d take this opportunity to reflect on the past few months and let you know about a few goings on.

First, Podcasts: It turns out that I love podcasting. I have really enjoyed being a guest on several shows. Check me out on Mom Brain, Reid This Reid That, (R)aging Gracefully, Raw Beauty Talks, and Simple Families. Coming soon: The Upgrade and MT Nesters. All of this got me thinking about starting my own podcast, so I attended Werk It: A Women’s Podcast Festival to learn more about what’s involved. I came away with a lot of knowledge, a reality check, and some great contacts. We are hard at work in the development stage, so stay tuned! And please sign up for my mailing list to be the first to know when we launch.

Second, more therapy: I have more slots available for therapy clients. When I first started NYC Sleep Doctor, I was available for office visits just two days per week. But I have recently expanded my office hours to offer sleep therapy and general psychotherapy to more people. Plus, I now have a HIPAA-compliant video portal to offer remote sessions. I am particularly excited about this because it means I can offer CBT-I to people in upstate New York, where it can be harder to find.

Finally, partnerships: I have been working with a number of companies that provide sleep-related products and services. Lately, I have been working with Moshi Twilight on the US launch of their fabulous children’s bedtime story app. I also had the pleasure of partnering with Super 8 Motels/Wyndham on the launch of their #JourneySafe campaign to raise awareness of Drowsy Driving.

That’s the big news for now.

Sweet dreams!