Insomnia therapy ranked highest for older adults' sleep quality, but evidence was uncertain
A review favored cognitive behavioral therapy with positive mood strategies, but low-certainty evidence limits confidence in which approach works best.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
For adults in the older age range studied, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia with positive mood strategies had the strongest reported sleep-quality result. Standard insomnia-focused cognitive behavioral therapy ranked next. However, low-certainty evidence and differing subgroup results leave substantial uncertainty about which approach would be most helpful for a particular person.
The review rated the evidence as low certainty. The abstract does not identify the reference comparators for its effect estimates or report intervention durations, so the apparent ordering should not be treated as a settled hierarchy.
What the ranking represents
The analysis combined sleep-quality scores on a standardized scale and ranked the approaches. Cognitive behavioral therapy with positive mood strategies led the overall ranking, followed by cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia without that added component.
Results differed across subgroups
Subgroup results favored music therapy for participants with lower baseline sleep-problem scores, while traditional Chinese exercise looked more favorable in home settings. These patterns need cautious interpretation alongside the review's low certainty and do not establish universal treatment choices.
The original publication
Effects of non-pharmacological interventions on sleep quality in older adults: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Song J, Dong H, Wang C et al.
BMC Med · 2026
- PubMed ID
- 41742230
- Record checked
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