Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia among active duty military personnel.

Insomnia is one of the most frequent sleep complaints among veterans and military personnel. This retrospective study investigated whether cognitive–behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) improved sleep and reduced insomnia symptoms in an active duty military population. The study consisted of 98 military personnel (mean age = 31.0, SD = 7.4; 70% male) who experienced insomnia and completed CBT-I in a military sleep disorders clinic. Assessments of sleep were completed analyzing pre- and posttreatment variables from the sleep diary, Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). At baseline, the mean ISI was 16.63 (SD = 4.36) with a total sleep time (TST) of approximately 5.90 hr (SD = 1.32). After CBT-I, the ISI was 14.50 (SD = 5.19) and TST was 5.62 hr (SD = 1.32). There was no significant change over time for patients who received fewer than 4 sessions, but change over time was significant for patients who received 4 or more sessions. Over the course of treatment, patients’ overall sleep improved across metrics with 20% achieving clinically meaningful improvement in insomnia symptoms. CBT-I improves insomnia symptoms in some military personnel. However, everyone does not respond successfully to CBT-I treatment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)