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.