Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy + Meds Recommended Over Meds Alone for Insomnia

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By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, Senior Medical Editor, B. Pharm. Last updated on May 1, 2026.

via HealthDay

FRIDAY, May 1, 2026 -- Combination treatment of cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) plus insomnia medication is recommended over insomnia medication alone for adults with chronic insomnia disorder, according to a clinical practice guideline issued by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and published online April 13 in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.

Daniel J. Buysse, M.D., from the School of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, and colleagues established clinical practice recommendations for combination treatment of chronic insomnia disorder in adults, defined as treatment with CBT-I started concurrently with pharmacotherapy. A task force of experts in sleep medicine was commissioned to develop recommendations.

The AASM suggests use of combination treatment with CBT-I plus insomnia medication over insomnia medication alone in adults with chronic insomnia disorder (conditional recommendation). There is a conditional recommendation against use of combination treatment of CBT-I plus insomnia medication over CBT-I alone for adults with chronic insomnia disorder.

"Our analysis suggests that CBT-I by itself is the most efficacious first-line treatment for insomnia. However, using medication with CBT-I may provide modest benefit for some specific outcomes, such as total sleep time," Buysse said in a statement. "These recommendations are meant to support thoughtful, patient‑centered decision‑making rather than a one‑size‑fits‑all approach."

Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.

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Source: HealthDay

Posted : 2026-05-02 02:06

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