• Erin Koffel, Erin Amundson, and Jennifer P Wisdom.
• Center for Care Delivery and Outcomes Research, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
• Pain Med. 2020 Jan 1; 21 (1): 677567-75.

ObjectiveInsomnia is one of the most common, persistent, and distressing symptoms associated with chronic pain. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is the firstline treatment for insomnia, but patient preferences and perspectives about CBT-I within the context of chronic pain are unknown. The current qualitative study sought to understand the experience of CBT-I among patients with chronic pain, including aspects of CBT-I that were found to be difficult (e.g., pain as a specific barrier to adherence/dropout), changes in sleep and pain functioning after CBT-I, and aspects of CBT-I that were appreciated.DesignQualitative semistructured interviews.MethodsWe conducted individual semistructured interviews with 17 veterans with chronic pain and insomnia who had recently participated in CBT-I, as well as their CBT-I therapists, and used thematic analysis to identify conceptual themes.ResultsResults revealed that patients and CBT-I therapists found changing sleep habits during CBT-I challenging due to anxiety and temporary increases in fatigue, but did not identify major pain-related barriers to adhering to CBT-I recommendations; patients experienced better sleep, mood, energy, and socialization after CBT-I despite minimal changes in pain intensity; and patients highly valued CBT-I as a personalized treatment for sleep and strongly recommended it for other patients with chronic pain.ConclusionsFindings of improved sleep and functional outcomes support efforts to incorporate CBT-I into chronic pain treatment, including educating patients and providers about the strong feasibility of improving sleep and quality of life despite ongoing pain.2019 American Academy of Pain Medicine. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the US.

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