Among older adults, a 4-week brief behavioral treatment for insomnia (BBTi) improved sleep onset, wake after sleep onset, sleep efficacy, and sleep quality, but did not improve cognition, a recent study found. Researchers examined the effects of a BBTi on sleep parameters, mood, and cognitive functioning in older adults. Older adults (aged ≥65 years) underwent 4 weekly sessions of BBTi or self-monitoring control (SMC). They completed 14 days of sleep diaries and actigraphy measuring sleep onset latency (SOL), wake after sleep onset (WASO), total sleep time (TST), sleep efficiency (SE), and sleep quality ratings at baseline, post-treatment, and 3 months follow-up. Among the findings:

• BBTi improved relative to baseline in sleep diary reported SOL, WASO, SE, and sleep quality and were maintained at follow-up.
• A main effect of time showed that actigraphically measured WASO improved from baseline for both BBTi and SMC at post-treatment.
• BBTi did not improve cognition, and reduced depression to same degree as controls.