Individual therapy sessions have been shown to alleviate insomnia

New studies have shown that seniors with insomnia may reap large benefits from a short duration, individual therapy session.

For the study, 79 individuals with insomnia, with an average age of 72 years old, were split into two separate groups.

Patients in the treatment group went through four sessions of therapy which were administered by a nurse. Of the therapy sessions, two were done over the phone and two were face to face meetings.

Individuals in the control group did not receive therapy. Instead, they were only given instructional reading to help educate them about sleep.

After just one month, the results showed that 42 percent more people in the treatment group no longer had insomnia. The treatment group showed a 55 percent success rate of stopping insomnia and the control group had a 13 percent success rate.

The study can be found online in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Estimates from past studies reveal that nearly 40 percent of adults in the United States may have insomnia.

Experts believe that for this type of treatment to hold long-term success, patients need to feel less like this is a mental therapy session. Most individuals are against seeking mental health help.