Digital CBT Built for 65+ Cuts Insomnia and Anxiety in Canadian Randomized Trial

A randomized controlled trial published in Age and Ageing has found that a digital cognitive behavioral therapy program built specifically for older adults significantly improved sleep and reduced insomnia and anxiety symptoms — filling a validation gap that has limited digital sleep therapeutics for the population most affected by insomnia.

The trial, led by researchers at the Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal with Concordia University, Université Laval, and Université de Montréal, enrolled 80 participants aged 65 and older with insomnia. The seven-week eCBT+ program delivered weekly interactive video modules of roughly 30 minutes targeting both insomnia and anxiety, and posted a usability score near 70% alongside significant improvements in sleep efficiency versus a waitlist control.

Why the age group matters

CBT-I is the guideline first-line treatment for insomnia — ahead of medication — but trained therapists are scarce and costly, and most digital CBT-I products were validated mainly in younger adults. Insomnia medications carry particular risks in seniors, making a validated non-drug alternative clinically meaningful.

The program's design choices — adjustable text size and contrast, French-language delivery — treat accessibility as a feature, not an afterthought. Senior author Dr. Thien Thanh Dang-Vu's team has produced exactly the kind of evidence Medicare and provincial payers say they need as they weigh coverage of digital sleep therapeutics for older adults — the demographic where both the burden and the payoff are largest.

Reporting: Medical Update Online and Medical Xpress, on the Age and Ageing study, June 2026.