Mindfulness-based therapy for insomnia for older adults with sleep difficulties: a randomized clinical trial.

Poor sleep is a modifiable risk factor for multiple disorders. Frontline treatments (e.g. cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia) have limitations, prompting a search for alternative approaches. Here, we compare manualized Mindfulness-Based Therapy for Insomnia (MBTI) with a Sleep Hygiene, Education, and Exercise Program (SHEEP) in improving subjective and objective sleep outcomes in older adults. We conducted a single-site, parallel-arm trial, with blinded assessments collected at baseline, post-intervention and 6-months follow-up. We randomized 127 participants aged 50-80, with a Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score ⩾5, to either MBTI ( Intention-to-treat analysis showed reductions in insomnia severity in both groups [MBTI: Cohen's effect size MBTI is effective at improving subjective and objective sleep quality in older adults, and could be a valid alternative for persons who have failed or do not have access to standard frontline therapies.