Sleep therapy may boost brain health in seniors with insomnia

NCT ID NCT03954210

Completed Symptom relief Sponsor: University of Kansas Medical Center Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tested whether a six-week sleep therapy program (CBT-I) could improve thinking and memory in older adults aged 60-85 with insomnia. Two hundred participants were randomly assigned to either CBT-I or a sleep education program. A small group also had brain scans to see if better sleep slowed the buildup of amyloid plaques, which are linked to Alzheimer's disease. The goal was to see if treating insomnia could help protect the brain.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I)
What this could lead to: If successful, this could show that treating insomnia improves cognitive function and may slow brain changes linked to Alzheimer's disease.
What could go wrong: This is a completed study with 200 participants, but the results are not yet widely confirmed. The link between sleep and brain amyloid is still uncertain, and individual results may vary.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Alzheimer disease insomnia

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

INSOMNIA

Contacts and locations

Locations

University of Kansas Medical Center- Sleep, Health and Wellness Laboratory

Kansas City, Kansas, 66160, United States

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