CBT for Insomnia to Help Adults Who Smoke Quit and Sleep Better
Official title: Neural Mechanisms Connecting Deficient Sleep and Smoking Relapse: An RCT of CBT for Insomnia in Adults who Smoke
Funded at Yale University · NIH-11353933 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A sleep-focused therapy is tested to help adults who smoke sleep better, feel less negative, and improve their ability to quit smoking.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $459,047 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DA061285-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11353933 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults 21+ who smoke and have sleep difficulties, willing to participate in CBT-I and undergo imaging.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without sleep disturbances or those unwilling to engage in CBT-I or brain imaging may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project will enroll 114 adults who smoke and have sleep problems to see if cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) can reduce negative mood, boost self-control, and increase quitting attempts. Participants are randomly assigned to receive CBT-I and will undergo brain imaging to identify neural changes associated with improved sleep and smoking outcomes. The study combines behavioral treatment with brain scans to understand how sleep improves mood and control over smoking urges, aiming to reveal neural markers linked to successful cessation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, CBT-I could become a practical approach to support quitting smoking by improving sleep and reducing relapse risk.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary work suggests sleep interventions can influence mood and self-control; this study tests a mechanistic brain basis in smokers.
Where this research is happening
-
Yale University
New Haven, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Li, Chiang-Shan Ray — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Li, Chiang-Shan Ray
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Improving Sleep to Help People Stop Smoking
This project explores how improving sleep with therapy might help people who smoke quit by boosting their mood and self-control.
-
How sleep problems affect smoking relapse and how therapy can help
This study is looking at how better sleep can help adults who smoke stay smoke-free, and it will explore if a special therapy for sleep problems can improve mood and self-control while using brain scans to see how these changes happen.
-
Social stress and smoking: why disadvantaged young adults struggle to quit
This grant looks at how daily social stress affects if and when disadvantaged young adults who smoke can quit and stay quit.
-
Promoting Breastfeeding to Prevent Postpartum Smoking Relapse
A trial tests whether encouraging new mothers to breastfeed helps prevent them from starting to smoke again after giving birth.
-
Adaptive treatment for early smoking relapse in adults
This study tests different paths to help adults who smoke quit again after an early relapse, including trying a different quitting medicine or switching to a safer nicotine product.
-
Online Helpers training to reduce smoking relapse by strengthening your support network
An online program that teaches recent quitters to help friends or family stop smoking so their social circle becomes more supportive and they are less likely to relapse.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.