A study from UCLA Health indicates that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for insomnia may slow biological aging in older adults. Published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity, the research found that participants who received CBT for insomnia had higher rates of insomnia remission and a reduced pace of biological aging compared to a control group that received sleep education.
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Dr. Judith Carroll, the study’s lead author and an associate professor of psychiatry at UCLA Health, emphasized the significance of the findings, stating that insomnia in older adults should not only be viewed as a quality-of-life issue but may also be a risk factor influencing the body’s aging process. She noted, "Just as we counsel patients on physical activity and diet to support healthy aging, this points to sleep as another important behavior worth targeting to improve health."
Approximately 10-25% of adults over 65 in the U.S. experience clinical insomnia. Previous research has linked insomnia to advanced biological aging, which can increase the risk of age-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and mortality.
In this randomized controlled trial, nearly 100 older adults with insomnia were assigned to receive either CBT or sleep education therapy. CBT involves structured treatment targeting the thoughts and behaviors that contribute to insomnia, delivered over several sessions with a trained clinician. In contrast, sleep education focuses on sharing general information about sleep and healthy habits without employing specific behavioral techniques.
Researchers collected blood samples before the 8-week treatment period and during follow-up visits over the next two years. They analyzed DNA from these samples to assess biological aging using three epigenetic clocks: DunedinPACE, GrimAge, and PC-PhenoAge.
The study revealed that participants receiving CBT had nearly three times the likelihood of achieving insomnia remission compared to those in the sleep education group. Furthermore, the treatment significantly slowed the pace of aging as measured by the DunedinPACE epigenetic clock.
The authors acknowledged limitations, such as the study being conducted at a single site in Los Angeles. They suggested that further research involving a larger, more diverse population is necessary to confirm these findings and explore potential variations in treatment response based on sex or the effects of other insomnia treatments like medication or Tai Chi.