Sleep therapy for people with hard-to-treat schizophrenia

Plain-English translation of NCT06749444 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ · Source last updated January 2026 · Translation generated June 2026 · How we translate trials

This study doesn't follow the usual testing phases — it may be an observational study or a different type of research.

What is this trial?

This trial is testing whether a specific type of talking therapy called cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) can help people with treatment-resistant schizophrenia who also struggle with sleep problems. The study will compare two groups: one receiving CBT-I (therapy focused on sleep) and another receiving standard cognitive behavioral therapy (therapy focused on general psychiatric symptoms). Researchers want to see if improving sleep can also reduce psychotic symptoms and improve quality of life.

Many people with treatment-resistant schizophrenia have severe sleep problems that don't improve with medication alone. This study explores whether treating sleep specifically — rather than just treating psychotic symptoms — might help reduce the overall burden of the illness and improve how people feel day-to-day.

Do you qualify?

You likely qualify if…

you have been diagnosed with schizophrenia, chronic paranoid psychosis, schizo-affective disorder, or another non-organic psychosis
your schizophrenia has not responded well to standard antipsychotic medications (treatment-resistant)
you have had sleeping difficulties for at least 3 months
you have a sleep problem score of 15 or higher on a standard screening test
your psychiatric medications have been stable for at least the past month
you are legally able to give informed consent to participate

You likely don't qualify if…

you have been admitted to a psychiatric hospital in the past 6 months (for more than 1 week or with major medication changes)
you have a serious substance abuse problem that would interfere with your ability to participate
you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea or currently use a CPAP machine

What participation looks like

You would be randomly assigned to receive either 8–10 weekly sessions of therapy focused on sleep problems or 8–10 weekly sessions of therapy focused on your psychiatric symptoms more broadly. Each session would last about an hour and happen roughly once per week. At the beginning and after 12 weeks, you would complete a set of assessments to measure your sleep, symptoms, and quality of life.

AI-generated summary from trial data · Jun 14, 2026 · Not medical advice

Sleep therapy for people with hard-to-treat schizophrenia

What is this trial?

Do you qualify?

What participation looks like

Trial locations