A comparison of the efficacy of stimulus control for mediated and nonmedicated insomniacs

A sample of 21 medicated and 20 nonmedicated insomniacs participated in a sleep medication withdrawal program that provided education about sleep medication and a gradual medication withdrawal schedule. Ten medicated participants received stimulus control treatment and the withdrawal program, and II medicated participants served as a control group that received only the withdrawal program. Half of the nonmedicated participants received stimulus control, and the remaining nommedicated participants served as a wait-list control condition. Medicated participants significantly reduced sleep medication use without significant deterioration on sleep, anxiety, or depression measures from baseline to I-week follow-up. Stimulus control participants, unlike control group participants, showed significant improvement at follow-up for total sleep time, sleep efficiency, and sleep quality. Stimulus control participants also reported less daytime sleepiness than control participants after treatment. Nonmedicated participants exhibited a more positive response to stimulus control than medicated participants.