Abstract
Chronic insomnia is a common condition that significantly burdens patients and increases the risk of various comorbidities. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is the recommended first-line treatment and has shown strong, long-lasting effects with fewer side effects compared to medication. This article presents a representative case study of a woman with long-term insomnia,illustrating the core components and practical implementation of CBT-I, including the combination with medication tapering. CBT-I targets the maintaining factors of insomnia through behavioral techniques (e.g. sleep restriction) and cognitive interventions, and restoring daytime balance. Up to 80% of patients experience clinically relevant improvements, even with comorbid conditions. In contrast, sleep medications like temazepam or zolpidem should be used cautiously, for no longer than 2-4 weeks. CBT-I leads to more sustainable outcomes and supports patient autonomy. Wider implementation in clinical practice is hindered by limited awareness, access, and reimbursement, despite strong evidence for its effectiveness.
TY - JOUR
T1 - [Insomnia: cognitive behavioral therapy better than pills].
AU - Rauwerda,Nynke L,
AU - Bakker,Mette H,
Y1 - 2026/04/14/
PY - 2026/4/16/medline
PY - 2026/4/16/pubmed
PY - 2026/4/16/entrez
JF - Nederlands tijdschrift voor geneeskunde
JO - Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd
VL - 170
N2 - Chronic insomnia is a common condition that significantly burdens patients and increases the risk of various comorbidities. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is the recommended first-line treatment and has shown strong, long-lasting effects with fewer side effects compared to medication. This article presents a representative case study of a woman with long-term insomnia,illustrating the core components and practical implementation of CBT-I, including the combination with medication tapering. CBT-I targets the maintaining factors of insomnia through behavioral techniques (e.g. sleep restriction) and cognitive interventions, and restoring daytime balance. Up to 80% of patients experience clinically relevant improvements, even with comorbid conditions. In contrast, sleep medications like temazepam or zolpidem should be used cautiously, for no longer than 2-4 weeks. CBT-I leads to more sustainable outcomes and supports patient autonomy. Wider implementation in clinical practice is hindered by limited awareness, access, and reimbursement, despite strong evidence for its effectiveness.
SN - 1876-8784
UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/prime/citation/41989125/[Insomnia:_cognitive_behavioral_therapy_better_than_pills].
DB - PRIME
DP - Unbound Medicine
ER -
