Hypnosis Intervention for Sleep Disturbance: Determination of Optimal Dose and Method of Delivery for Postmenopausal Women.

Sleep disturbances are a pervasive problem among postmenopausal women, with an estimated 40 to 64% reporting poor sleep. Hypnosis is a promising intervention for sleep disturbances. This study examined optimal dose and delivery for a manualized hypnosis intervention to improve sleep. Ninety postmenopausal women with poor sleep were randomized to 1 of 4 interventions: 5 in-person, 3 in-person, 5 phone, or 3 phone contacts. All received hypnosis audio recordings, with instructions for daily practice for 5 weeks. Feasibility measures included treatment satisfaction ratings and practice adherence. Sleep outcomes were sleep quality, objective and subjective duration, and bothersomeness of poor sleep. Results showed high treatment satisfaction, adherence, and clinically meaningful (≥ 0.5 SD) sleep improvement for all groups. Sleep quality significantly improved, p < .05, η2 = .70, with no significant differences between groups, with similar results for the other sleep outcomes across all treatment arms. Comparable results between phone and in-person groups suggest that a unique "dose" and delivery strategy is highly feasible and can have clinically meaningful impact. This study provides pilot evidence that an innovative hypnosis intervention for sleep (5 phone contacts with home practice) reduces the burden on participants while achieving maximum treatment benefit.

Efficacy of a biobehavioral intervention for hot flashes: a randomized controlled pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: The need for effective nonhormonal treatments for hot flash management without unwanted side effects continues. The primary aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the effect of combining a nonhormonal pharmacologic agent with a behavioral treatment for hot flash reduction. METHODS: Seventy-one postmenopausal women were randomized to one of four groups: venlafaxine 75 mg + hypnosis (VH) versus venlafaxine 75 mg + sham hypnosis (VSH) versus a placebo pill + hypnosis (PH) versus placebo pill + sham hypnosis (PSH). Women recorded hot flash severity and frequency in a daily diary, in real time. The intrapatient difference in hot flash score (frequency × severity) at 8 weeks was analyzed using a General Estimating Equation model, using VSH as the referent arm, controlling for baseline hot flashes. RESULTS: The active arms including PH or VH were not statistically significantly different than VSH (P = 0.34, P = 0.05, respectively). Women in each active arm reported hot flash reductions of about 50%, with the PSH group reporting a 25% reduction. Women receiving the PSH reported statistically significantly smaller reductions in hot flash score than women in the referent VSH arm (P = 0.001). There were no significant negative side effects during the course of the study. CONCLUSIONS: Hypnosis alone reduced hot flashes equal to venlafaxine alone, but the combination of hypnosis and venlafaxine did not reduce hot flashes more than either treatment alone. More research is needed to clarify whether combining hypnosis with a different antidepressant would provide synergistic benefits.

Clinical hypnosis in the treatment of postmenopausal hot flashes: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: The use of estrogen and progesterone to manage vasomotor symptoms (ie, hot flashes and night sweats) has declined because of concerns about their risks, and there is an increased interest in alternate, effective, and low-risk treatments. This study reports the results of a randomized controlled trial of clinical hypnosis for treating vasomotor symptoms among postmenopausal women. METHODS: This is a randomized, single-blind, controlled, clinical trial involving 187 postmenopausal women reporting a minimum of seven hot flashes per day (or at least 50 hot flashes a week) at baseline between December 2008 and April 2012. Eligible participants received five weekly sessions of either clinical hypnosis or structured-attention control. Primary outcomes were hot flash frequency (subjectively and physiologically recorded) and hot flash score assessed by daily diaries on weeks 2 to 6 and week 12. Secondary outcomes included measures of hot flash-related daily interference, sleep quality, and treatment satisfaction. RESULTS: In a modified intent-to-treat analysis that included all randomized participants who provided data, reported subjective hot flash frequency from baseline to week 12 showed a mean reduction of 55.82 (74.16%) hot flashes for the clinical hypnosis intervention versus a mean reduction of 12.89 (17.13%) hot flashes for controls (P < 0.001; 95% CI, 36.15-49.67). The mean reduction in hot flash score was 18.83 (80.32%) for the clinical hypnosis intervention as compared with 3.53 (15.38%) for controls (P < 0.001; 95% CI, 12.60-17.54). At 12-week follow-up, the mean reduction in physiologically monitored hot flashes was 5.92 (56.86%) for clinical hypnosis and 0.88 (9.94%) for controls (P < 0.001; 95% CI, 2.00-5.46). Secondary outcomes were significantly improved compared with controls at 12-week follow-up: hot flash-related interference (P < 0.001; 95% CI, 2.74-4.02), sleep quality (P < 0.001; 95% CI, 3.65-5.84), and treatment satisfaction (P < 0.001; 95% CI, 7.79-8.59). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with structured-attention control, clinical hypnosis results in significant reductions in self-reported and physiologically measured hot flashes and hot flash scores in postmenopausal women.