Stopping Sleeping Pills During Therapy for Insomnia
Author Information
Author(s): Lucie Zavesicka, Martin Brunovsky, Milos Matousek, Peter Sos
Primary Institution: Prague Psychiatric Center
Hypothesis
Does treatment outcome with CBT for insomnia vary between subjects with respect to hypnotic abuse?
Conclusion
The study suggests that tapering off third-generation hypnotics during cognitive-behavioral therapy for chronic insomnia can improve sleep continuity.
Supporting Evidence
- CBT was highly effective in both hypnotic-abusing and non-abusing patients.
- Discontinuation of hypnotics was followed by an additional improvement in sleep efficiency.
- No significant differences in baseline sleep characteristics were found between the two groups.
Takeaway
This study found that stopping sleeping pills while getting therapy for insomnia can actually help people sleep better.
Methodology
Twenty-eight outpatients were treated with cognitive-behavioral therapy for 8 weeks, with some tapering off hypnotics during treatment.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the non-randomized design and reliance on subjective measures.
Limitations
The study does not provide information regarding the durability of therapeutic effects and was not a comparative study.
Participant Demographics
28 outpatients (19 females, 9 males) aged 25 to 74 years, mean age 44.35 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p < 0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website