Still Can’t Sleep? This Treatment May Help

Quick Win

Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, or CBT-I, is safer than sleeping pills, and the results last longer.

Try This Today

• If you’ve seen a health care provider for an evaluation and you’re still having trouble sleeping, seek out a provider trained in CBT-I, which stands for cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia. This personalized, short-term therapy has been shown to help people improve their sleep.
• Get a referral for a CBT-I therapist from your health care provider or a sleep specialist — or search for one on the International Directory of CBT-I providers. 
• Consider a digital CBT-I program if one-on-one therapy isn’t practical or you can’t find an available therapist. Digital CBT-I is not tailored to individuals, but it works well for some people. Your doctor may be able to recommend an evidence-based program.

Why

Nearly 40 percent of adults 45 to 64 and nearly 30 percent 65 and older don’t get enough sleep on a regular basis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For people with chronic insomnia, AARP’s Global Council on Brain Health suggests CBT-I, which was shown to be effective in a 2017 meta-analysis of 87 randomized controlled trials published in Sleep Medicine Reviews. Researchers concluded that the therapy benefited younger and older adults, those with and without health conditions that can contribute to sleep problems, and people taking and not taking sleep medication. In a study of 1,711 adults (average age 48), a digital CBT-I program reduced insomnia symptoms, according to a 2018 report in JAMA Psychiatry.