Study claims to improve the quality of sleep through a very simple exercise

A simple one hour therapy session has helped cure 73 per cent of people suffering from acute insomnia, according to a recent study from Northumbria University.

In the first ever study to attempt to treat insomnia in the acute phase, researchers found that almost three-quarters of participants saw improvements in the quality of their sleep within three months following a 60-minute cognitive behavioural therapy session.

The findings, which have been published in the international journal SLEEP.

The study was led by Jason Ellis, a Professor of Sleep Science in Northumbria University’s Department of Psychology. Forty adults who reported that they had suffered from insomnia for less than three months and who were not currently taking medication to aid their sleep, took part.

The participants were separated into two groups, each featuring nine males and 11 females. All used sleep diaries to record the quality and duration of their sleep for seven days before treatment and completed the Insomnia Severity Index which measures the nature, severity and impact of insomnia. One group received treatment of a one-hour one-to-one cognitive behavioural therapy session delivered by Professor Ellis and a self-help pamphlet.

After treatment there was a significant difference between the group that had received cognitive behavioural therapy and the control group. Within one month of the therapy session, 60 per cent of participants reported improvements. Within three months, this had increased to 73 per cent.

The therapy session covered sleep education and individual differences in “sleep need” at different times of life. Professor Ellis then introduced the principle of sleep restriction, which encourages the individual to spend only the time in bed required for sleep. Using their recorded sleep diaries, the individuals were then prescribed a time to go to bed and a time to rise to improve their sleep efficiency.

Professor Ellis said: “Despite considerable evidence supporting the use of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for chronic insomnia, it remained untested for acute insomnia until this study.”