Clinical trial · Interventional
The Effectiveness of Online Treatment for Insomnia in Cancer Survivors
The Effectiveness of Online Treatment for Insomnia in Cancer Survivors: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Retrieved
- Sep 8, 2026
- Layer
- normalized (units and labels harmonized; values unchanged)
- Run
- ING-CLINICALTRIALS-20260908-000001
Summary
Brief summary (as posted)
Chronic insomnia affects more than 25% of cancer survivors, a rate double that of the general population. The Pan-Canadian sleep guideline for adults with cancer recommends Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) as the best treatment. Major problems, however, are the lack of available CBT-I at cancer centers and the lack of information about possible side-effects of CBT-I. To address this issue, our study will evaluate the effectiveness and potential short-term side-effects of an online version of CBT-I. It is expected that when compared to cancer survivors who receive an online sleep education program, those who receive online CBT-I will experience improved sleep, mood, and quality of life, as well as reduced anxiety and fatigue.
Conditions
Conditions (1)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic Insomnia | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
Interventions
Interventions (1)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cognitive Behavioural Therapy | Behavioral | — | UNRESOLVED |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (2)
- type
- EXPERIMENTAL
- label
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
- description
- A 6-week online cognitive-behavioural treatment for insomnia. Each week focuses on a different topic consistent with the cognitive-behavioural theory of insomnia.
- interventionNames
- Behavioral: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
- type
- NO_INTERVENTION
- label
- Control Condition
- description
- The online attention matched control arm will provide education about sleep without any focus on the active ingredients that constitute the intervention group.
Primary outcomes (1)
- measure
- Insomnia Severity Index (Morin & Espie, 2003)
- timeFrame
- October 2016 - October 2019, up to 3 years
- description
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- All
- Minimum age
- 18 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion Criteria: * Adult outpatients with a diagnosis of any type of cancer (stages I-III) as long as active treatment is complete for at least 1 month (with the exception of hormone therapy) and there is no diagnosis of cancer recurrence * Presence of a) difficulty with initiating or maintaining sleep or early morning awakening ≥ 30 minutes, b) daytime impairment (e.g., reduced concentration, fatigue, irritability), c) persistence of problem for at least 3 months, occurring ≥ 3 nights per week, with d) adequate opportunity for sleep and e) not entirely attributable to a mental or physical health disorder, f) access to high speed internet Exclusion Criteria: * Diagnosis of cancer recurrence * Presence of symptoms suggestive of acute suicidality, current mania, schizophrenia, or head injury * Shift work * Weekly alcohol use in excess of 14 drinks per week for males and 12 drinks per week for females * Current or previous cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia * Non-residents of Ontario
References
Publications (1)
- DERIVEDCai Z, Tang Y, Liu C, Li H, Zhao G, Zhao Z, Zhang B. Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia in people with cancer. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2025 Oct 31;10(10):CD015176. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD015176.pub2. PMID 41170811