Document Type

Article

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is a transitional stage between normal aging and early dementia, affecting up to 20% of older adults. Sleep disturbances, particularly insomnia, affect around 60% of individuals with MCI, contributing to declines in cognitive and physical function. Although Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is an evidence-based non-pharmacological treatment, few studies have adapted it for individuals with MCI. This pilot study developed and evaluated Slumber, a clinician-supported mobile CBT-I app tailored for older adults with MCI and insomnia. Methods: The study had three aims: (1) to develop the app for delivering CBT-I to individuals with MCI; (2) to evaluate its usability and refine smart messaging prompts; and (3) to assess the feasibility of outcome measurement while detecting exploratory signals of change through a 6-week pilot trial. N = 19 participants completed the trial. Results: A significant reduction in insomnia severity was observed (mean difference = −2.06; p = 0.0131), while changes in cognitive and physical functioning were not statistically significant. Participants reported high satisfaction with the app’s tracking features and motivational reminders, though some noted technical challenges with presenting and interpreting sleep analysis charts. Conclusions: Findings support the usability of the Slumber app and the feasibility of outcome measurement in this population. The observed improvement in sleep quality provides an initial signal of promise. Future studies should address user feedback, enhance technical features, and evaluate clinical effectiveness in a larger randomized trial.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.3390/jal6010007

Rights

©2026bytheauthors. Licensee MDPI,Basel,Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY)license.

APA Citation

Chen, H., Pagán-Ortiz, M., Romero Vicente, S., Chapman, E., Maxwell, J., Owens, O. L., & Levkoff, S. (2026). Technology-Enabled Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment: Development and Feasibility Study. Journal of Ageing and Longevity, 6(1), 7.https://doi.org/10.3390/jal6010007

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