Cognitive behavioral therapy helps arrest insomnia in at-risk children: Study

A study was conducted by Chan N et. al to avoid the future development of insomnia in adolescents with a family history of insomnia.

The researchers selected a total of 242 at-risk adolescents and randomly divided them into an intervention group (n= 121) and a control group (n= 121). Further, they conducted a randomized controlled trial comparing 4 weekly insomnia prevention programs with a nonactive control group. All the participants were evaluated at baseline, postintervention, and 6 as well as 12 months after treatment. The participants were blinded to the randomization. Analyses were conducted based on the intention-to-treat principles.

The findings of the study are as follows:

· Both acute and chronic insomnia incidence rate was lower in the intervention group as compared to the control group over the 12- month follow-up (5.8% vs 20.7%; P = .002; number needed to treat = 6.7; hazard ratio = 0.29; 95% confidence interval: 0.12–0.66; P = .003)

· Insomnia symptoms (P = .03) and the vulnerability to stress-related insomnia were less in the intervention group) at postintervention and throughout the 12-month follow-up.

· Decreased daytime sleepiness (P = .04), superior sleep hygiene practices (P = .02), and increased total sleep time (P = .05) were observed in the intervention group.

· The depressive symptoms were also less in the intervention group at 12-month follow-up (P = .02) as compared to the control group.

The researchers concluded that a short cognitive behavioral program is efficient in avoiding the onset of insomnia and improving the risk factors and functioning outcomes.

Reference

A study titled, "Cognitive behavioral program may prevent insomnia in at-risk adolescents" published in the Pediatrics journal.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2020-006833