The effect of group cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia in postmenopausal women

The menopausal period is associated with several complications in women. One of these complications is sleep disorders including insomnia disorder that can affect all aspects of personal life. The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) on insomnia severity and sleep quality among postmenopausal women. This was a randomised clinical trial in which 46 women were recruited and randomly allocated into two groups, one receiving CBT-I and a control group. The CBT-I group received six sessions of training, while the control group received only usual care. A demographic questionnaire, Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), were used to collect the data. The ISI and PSQI were measured at baseline, 3 and 6 weeks after intervention, and in a 4-week follow-up. The Independent t test, the chi-square test, generalised estimating equation models, and Bonferroni correction were applied to analyse the data. According to our results, in the CBT-I group compared to the control group, the mean ISI, PSQI, sleep onset latency, sleep time, and sleep quality score reduced continuously from baseline to week 3 and from week 3 to week 6, and remained constant from week 6 to week 10. The mean sleep efficiency score improved significantly from baseline to week 3 in the CBT-I group and remained unchanged until the end of the study. CBT-I could significantly improve insomnia severity and sleep quality in postmenopausal women. Therefore, using this method is recommended for menopausal women with insomnia.