Third-Wave Therapies for Insomnia

Abstract

The development of psychological and behavioral therapies over the past several decades has led to what is termed the third wave of psychotherapy, a collection of treatments that adopt a new approach to maladaptive cognitions and target broad, contextualistic goals. Within the field of behavioral sleep medicine, treatments for insomnia have followed a similar evolution, and several emerging therapies, including mindfulness and acceptance-based therapies, have begun to accumulate evidence as effective treatments for this sleep disorder over the past several decades. This paper discusses the historical background of the third wave of psychotherapy, introduces each of the third-wave therapies that have been applied to the treatment of insomnia, and reviews the recent literature to critique the effectiveness of these treatments. Relevant controversies with the third-wave therapies are discussed to inform future directions in insomnia research.