Non-pharmacological treatments for insomnia: a focus on components of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia
- Author:
Soyoung PARK
1
;
Eun Ji LIM
;
Dongyun LEE
;
Young-Ji LEE
Author Information
- Publication Type:Review article
- From:Kosin Medical Journal 2024;39(4):238-245
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: Insomnia is a prevalent disorder that affects 4% to 22% of the population in the United States. While cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) remains the gold standard for non-pharmacological treatment, accessibility barriers exist owing to a shortage of trained professionals and high costs. This review examines the efficacy of the individual components of CBT-I as stand-alone interventions to improve treatment accessibility, digital CBT-I, and other non-pharmacological interventions. Guidelines from organizations such as the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and, European Sleep Research Society, along with recent meta-analyses, support the effectiveness of these components as stand-alone treatments. Sleep restriction therapy and stimulus control therapy show promise as effective interventions. Although recommended by certain guidelines, relaxation therapy has yielded mixed results. Sleep hygiene education, a common component of CBT-I, has not demonstrated significant efficacy as a stand-alone treatment. Cognitive strategies have shown promise in recent studies. Sufficient clinical evidence supports the efficacy of digital CBT-I in treating insomnia. Internationally, various platforms for digital CBT-I have already been developed and are in use, and in South Korea, some digital CBT-I software programs have received digital therapeutic device approval in 2023. This review highlights the potential of individual components of CBT-I as effective stand-alone interventions for insomnia, as well as digital CBT-I, emphasizing their importance for improving the accessibility of non-pharmacological insomnia treatments in clinical settings where full CBT-I may not be available.
