Aerobic Exercise vs Digital CBT-I for Student Insomnia: Brazilian RCT Challenges Current Treatment Paradigms
247 Health News Editorial
·1 May 2026
·4 min read
·clinical-trialsBrazilian researchers are comparing aerobic exercise to digital CBT-I for treating insomnia in university students. This RCT could reshape treatment approaches by positioning exercise as first-line therapy rather than adjunctive treatment.
Originally reported by ClinicalTrials.gov
References
- 1.Bastien, C. H., Vallières, A., & Morin, C. M. (2001). Validation of the Insomnia Severity Index as an outcome measure for insomnia research. Sleep Medicine, 2(4), 297-307. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1389-9457(00)00065-4
- 2.Craig, C. L., Marshall, A. L., Sjöström, M., Bauman, A. E., Booth, M. L., Ainsworth, B. E., ... & Oja, P. (2003). International physical activity questionnaire: 12-country reliability and validity. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 35(9), 1381-1395. https://doi.org/10.1249/01.MSS.0000078924.61453.FB
- 3.Gaultney, J. F. (2010). The prevalence of sleep disorders in college students: impact on academic performance. Journal of American College Health, 59(2), 91-97. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481003621418
- 4.Kredlow, M. A., Capozzoli, M. C., Hearon, B. A., Calkins, A. W., & Otto, M. W. (2015). The effects of physical activity on sleep: a meta-analytic review. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 38(3), 427-449. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-015-9617-6
- 5.Morin, C. M., & Jarrin, D. C. (2022). Epidemiology of insomnia: prevalence, course, risk factors, and public health burden. Sleep Medicine Clinics, 17(2), 173-191. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsmc.2022.03.003
- 6.Passos, G. S., Poyares, D., Santana, M. G., D'Aurea, C. V., Youngstedt, S. D., Tufik, S., & de Mello, M. T. (2011). Effects of moderate aerobic exercise training on chronic primary insomnia. Sleep Medicine, 12(10), 1018-1027. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2010.09.007
- 7.Qaseem, A., Kansagara, D., Forciea, M. A., Cooke, M., & Denberg, T. D. (2016). Management of chronic insomnia disorder in adults: a clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians. Annals of Internal Medicine, 165(2), 125-133. https://doi.org/10.7326/M15-2175
- 8.Reid, K. J., Baron, K. G., Lu, B., Naylor, E., Wolfe, L., & Zee, P. C. (2010). Aerobic exercise improves self-reported sleep and quality of life in older adults with insomnia. Sleep Medicine, 11(9), 934-940. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2009.09.014
- 9.Seyffert, M., Lagisetty, P., Landgraf, J., Chopra, V., Pfeiffer, P. N., Conte, M. L., & Rogers, M. A. (2016). Internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy to treat insomnia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One, 11(2), e0149139. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0149139
- 10.Universidade Federal de Goias. (2024). Effects of Aerobic Exercise Versus Digital Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia in University Students With Insomnia Complaints. ClinicalTrials.gov. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06636006
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