Study of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia CBT-I Effects on Stress Hormones and Sleep in Adults with Chronic Insomnia

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are studying how Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia CBT-I affects sleep and daytime functioning by examining changes in cortisol and the bodys main stress system, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal HPA axis. The study aims to find out if improvements in sleep consolidation and duration relate to changes in cortisol and if these improvements differ between those with insomnia and short sleep duration versus normal sleep duration. Participants have chronic insomnia and are divided into groups based on their typical sleep length. Participants will undergo four in-lab visits where saliva, hair samples, and stress tasks occur to measure cortisol and related responses. After initial eligibility confirmation and baseline sleep monitoring with home sleep tests and actigraphy watches for four weeks, they will be randomly assigned to receive either four or ten weeks of weekly CBT-I sessions. Sleep and insomnia symptoms are tracked throughout the intervention and follow-up periods. Throughout the study, participants complete online sleep diaries and wear actigraphy devices to monitor sleep. Assessments at each visit include stress tasks with saliva sampling and hair collection for cortisol. Primary outcomes measured are insomnia symptoms, sleep continuity, total sleep time, and HPA-axis functioning from enrollment through up to seven months, including three months post-treatment follow-up. The study includes close monitoring and multiple evaluations to understand treatment effects and biological changes.

Restorative Effects of Sleep on Everyday Health and Wellbeing: A Treatment Study