Why might behavioral therapy be a good insomnia treatment for older adults?

Brief behavioral therapy intervention (BBTI) is a potentially attractive course of treatment for older adults, for several reasons. It provides a drug-free option to an age group that is already very likely to be taking medications for other conditions, and therefore reluctant, or at times unable, to rely on medication for sleep.

Training practitioners could be accomplished with relative ease -- and at low-cost -- increasing the availability and accessibility of the treatment to include a wide population, where there may otherwise be barriers to longer-term, or other therapies.

The short-term nature of the therapy also means a limited, clearly defined cost to older patients. And the speed and ease of the treatment itself could provide a quick and easy solution to what is often a chronic, debilitating problem.