Phone-based therapy ‘can improve menopause symptoms’

A new study has demonstrated the benefits of a telephone-based cognitive behavioural therapy intervention in improving menopause symptoms.

Led by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, the research indicated that speaking on the phone with a sleep coach and keeping a nightly sleep diary can significantly improve sleep quality and reduce insomnia in women through all stages of menopause.

The trial involved more than 100 women between 40 and 65 years of age with moderate insomnia who experienced at least two hot flashes a day. Although the rate of hot flashes did not change, the therapy ensured they interfered less with the women's daily functioning.

The intervention involved providing the patients with specific sleep/wake schedules, strengthening the association between the bedroom and sleep, and providing information on how sleep normally changes with age.

The study's first author Dr Susan McCurry, research professor at the University of Washington School of Nursing, said: "Since the intervention was delivered by non-sleep specialists over the phone, it potentially could be widely disseminated through primary and women's health centres to women who do not have good access to behavioural sleep-medicine specialists or clinics."