According to a recent study published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research, cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) may improve sleep and reduce daytime PTSD symptoms among military veterans. The current study compared Prazosin (a pharmacological treatment for sleep disturbance) versus a CBT sleep intervention against a placebo control. Fifty US military veterans were randomly assigned to either the Prazosin group (n = 18), the CBT group (n = 17), or the placebo group (n = 15). Both active groups (Prazosin and CBT) showed greater reductions in insomnia and daytime PTSD symptom severity. Overall sleep improvements were noted in 61.9% of those who completed the active treatments and 25% of those in the placebo group. These results suggest that both pharmacological and CBT interventions may improve sleep and reduce PTSD symptoms among military veterans.
Germain, A., Richardson, R., Moul, D. E., Mammen, O., Haas, G., Forman, S. D., Rode, N., … Nofzinger, E. A. (2012). Placebo-controlled comparison of prazosin and cognitive-behavioral treatments for sleep disturbances in US Military Veterans. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 72, 2, 89-96.