CBT for insomnia may cure more than just insomnia

Image credit: FreeImages.com/Rodrigo Galindo.

I believe it should be the first treatment offered to those suffering from chronic insomnia. Others agree with me: CBT-i has been recognized as the preferred treatment for chronic insomnia by the National Institutes of Health and the British Medical Association.

CBT works because it identifies and addresses the root causes of most cases of insomnia (you can learn more about CBT in my free sleep training course).

Now it would appear that cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia may also alleviate symptoms of other conditions, too.

Researchers reviewed 37 studies involving over 2,000 individuals with psychiatric and/or medical conditions who underwent cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia.

They found that after treatment, those who underwent CBT for insomnia were twice as likely to be in remission from their insomnia compared to those in control groups.

That was less surprising than what researchers discovered next.

Apparently, CBT for insomnia also had positive effects on their other illnesses, too. These conditions included psychiatric conditions such as depression and PTSD, and medical conditions such as chronic pain.

Further confirmation, then, of the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia - even for those with additional health conditions.

Source: JAMA Internal Medicine

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Last updated: July 14, 2016