'Talk therapy' may help persistent sleeplessness

Non-drug therapy can help adults who lie awake in bed most nights, a review of research finds.
Instead of popping a sleeping pill, someone with insomnia might benefit from techniques associated with "cognitive behavior therapy," researchers said after reviewing 20 prior studies.
Cognitive behavior therapy is a type of talk therapy where the goal is to help people change their thought patterns and learn better responses to situations.
Individuals who engaged in the sleep-enhancing practices fell asleep 20 minutes sooner, on average, and slept 30 minutes more each night, the investigators said.
"Effects appeared to continue over time and to result in an improvement in symptoms and general well-being," said review lead author Dr. James Trauer, a sleep physician with the Melbourne Sleep Disorders Center in Australia.
Up to 15 percent of adults worldwide regularly have sleep difficulties, which can lead to anxiety, depression and even type 2 diabetes, the researchers reported in background notes. Sleeping pills and other medications, while widely marketed, can cause dependence and troublesome side effects, they added.
Each of the 20 studies assessed at least three of five sleep-enhancing techniques used in cognitive behavior therapy. The studies included adults with insomnia but no medical or psychiatric problems that disrupt sleep. For example, no one with sleep apnea or depression was included.
For people without those problems, the review suggests that cognitive behavior therapy can help, "provided you are prepared to work hard at it and change your behaviors and attitudes to sleep," Trauer said.
"Before the treatment, the average time to get to sleep was just under an hour and the average time awake in bed after initially getting to sleep was about an hour and a quarter," Trauer said. "Time to get to sleep was improved by about 20 minutes, and time awake after initially getting to sleep decreased by about half an hour. We think these are significant improvements."
    Medicinenet.com

 

Talk therapy may help persistent sleeplessness

Non-drug therapy can help adults who lie awake in bed most nights, a review of research finds. Instead of popping a sleeping pill, someone with insomnia might benefit from techniques associated with cognitive behavior therapy, researchers said after reviewing 20 prior studies. Cognitive behavior therapy is a type of talk therapy where the goal is to help people change their thought patterns and learn better responses to situations. Individuals who engaged in the sleep-enhancing practices fell asleep 20 minutes sooner, on average, and slept 30 minutes more each night, the investigators said. Effects appeared to continue over time and to result in an improvement in symptoms and general well-being, said review lead author Dr. James Trauer, a sleep physician with the Melbourne Sleep Disorders Center in Australia. Up to 15 percent of adults worldwide regularly have sleep difficulties, which can lead to anxiety, depression and even type 2 diabetes, the researchers reported in background notes. Sleeping pills and other medications, while widely marketed, can cause dependence and troublesome side effects, they added. Each of the 20 studies assessed at least three of five sleep-enhancing techniques used in cognitive behavior therapy. The studies included adults with insomnia but no medical or psychiatric problems that disrupt sleep. For example, no one with sleep apnea or depression was included. For people without those problems, the review suggests that cognitive behavior therapy can help, provided you are prepared to work hard at it and change your behaviors and attitudes to sleep, Trauer said. Before the treatment, the average time to get to sleep was just under an hour and the average time awake in bed after initially getting to sleep was about an hour and a quarter, Trauer said. Time to get to sleep was improved by about 20 minutes, and time awake after initially getting to sleep decreased by about half an hour. We think these are significant improvements. Medicinenet.com