Therapy for insomnia with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a randomized trial of components

Abstract

Study objectives: To determine efficacy and mechanisms of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) education (COPD-ED) on clinical outcomes in adults with concurrent COPD and insomnia.

Methods: We conducted a 2 × 2 factorial study to test the impact of CBT-I and COPD-ED delivered alone or in combination on severity of insomnia and fatigue, sleep, and dyspnea. Participants were randomized to 1 of 4 groups-group 1: CBT-I + attention control (AC; health videos, n = 27); group 2: COPD-ED + AC, n = 28; group 3: CBT-I + COPD-ED, n = 27; and group 4, AC only, n = 27. Participants received six 75-minute weekly sessions. Dependent variables included insomnia severity, sleep by actigraphy, fatigue, and dyspnea measured at baseline, immediately postintervention, and at 3 months postintervention. Presumed mediators of intervention effects included beliefs and attitudes about sleep, self-efficacy for sleep and COPD, and emotional function.

Results: COPD patients (percent predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 second [FEV1pp] 67% ± 24% [mean ± standard deviation]), aged 65 ± 8 years, with insomnia participated in the study. Insomnia and sleep improved more in patients who received CBT-I than in those who did not, an effect that was sustained at 3 months postintervention and mediated by beliefs and attitudes about sleep. CBT-I was associated with clinically important improvements in fatigue and dyspnea. When CBT-I and COPD-ED were concurrently administered, effects on insomnia, fatigue, and dyspnea were attenuated.

Conclusions: CBT-I produced significant and sustained decreases in insomnia improved sleep and clinically important improvement in fatigue, and dyspnea. The combination of CBT-I and COPD-ED reduced CBT-I's effectiveness. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms associated with effects of insomnia therapy on multiple symptoms in COPD.

Clinical trial registration: Registry: ClinicalTrials.gov; Name: A Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia Co-existing with COPD; URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01973647; Identifier: NCT01973647.

Citation: Kapella M, Steffen A, Prasad B, et al. Therapy for insomnia with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a randomized trial of components. J Clin Sleep Med. 2022;18(12):2763-2774.

Keywords: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; cognitive behavioral therapy; dyspnea; fatigue; insomnia; sleep.