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Erickson AJ, Ravyts SG, Dzierzewski JM, Carlson GC, Kelly MR, Song Y, McGowan SK, Mitchell MN, Washington DL, Yano EM, Alessi CA, Martin JL. Pain in your day? Get sleep treatment anyway! The role of pain in insomnia treatment efficacy in women veterans. Journal of Sleep Research. 2024 Jan 21; e14147.
Dimensions for VA is a web-based tool available to VA staff that enables detailed searches of published research and research projects. Insomnia and pain disorders are among the most common conditions affecting United States adults and veterans, and their comorbidity can cause detrimental effects to quality of life among other factors. Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia and related behavioural therapies are recommended treatments for insomnia, but chronic pain may hinder treatment benefit. Prior research has not addressed how pain impacts the effects of behavioural insomnia treatment in United States women veterans. Using data from a comparative effectiveness clinical trial of two insomnia behavioural treatments (both including sleep restriction, stimulus control, and sleep hygiene education), we examined the impact of pain severity and pain interference on sleep improvements from baseline to post-treatment and 3-month follow-up. We found no significant moderation effects of pain severity or interference in the relationship between treatment phase and sleep outcomes. Findings highlight opportunities for using behavioural sleep interventions in patients, particularly women veterans, with comorbid pain and insomnia, and highlight areas for future research.
