Do subjective and objective baseline sleep disturbances predict post-traumatic stress disorder treatment response? A secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial.

TL;DR

Subjective and objective baseline sleep disturbances did not significantly predict treatment response in women with PTSD receiving cognitive processing therapy or dialectical behavior therapy over 15 months, suggesting sleep deficits do not hinder trauma-focused treatment efficacy.

Key findings

• Baseline sleep disturbances (measured by PSQI, sleep diaries, and actigraphy) were not significant predictors of PTSD symptom reduction in 178 women
• Depressive symptoms did not moderate the relationship between sleep disturbances and treatment outcomes
• Treatment effects were similar across both CPT and DBT-PTSD interventions regardless of baseline sleep quality
• Results indicate sleep-specific interventions may not be necessary prerequisites before initiating trauma-focused treatment in women with complex PTSD

Why this matters at the bedside

These findings suggest that clinicians need not delay or modify trauma-focused PTSD treatments based on baseline sleep disturbance severity, potentially streamlining treatment initiation in this population.