Russell, Charlotte, Kyle, Simon D, Wearden, Alison J · Sleep medicine reviews · 2017 · DOI
This review looked at whether two common treatments for ME/CFS—cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and graded exercise therapy (GET)—actually help people sleep better. The researchers found only 8 studies that measured sleep as an outcome. GET showed some promise for improving sleep, but results were inconsistent across different studies. CBT had very limited evidence, with only one study out of two showing sleep improvements. Overall, we know very little about whether adding specific sleep management techniques to these treatments makes a difference.
Sleep disturbance is a major symptom in ME/CFS, yet treatments like CBT and GET have not been adequately studied for their effects on sleep. This review highlights a significant evidence gap: we don't know whether adding targeted sleep interventions to standard treatments could improve outcomes. Better understanding of how to address sleep problems in ME/CFS could lead to more effective, patient-centred care.
This review does not prove that CBT or GET are ineffective for sleep in ME/CFS—it shows only that evidence is limited and inconsistent. The study does not establish whether sleep improvements, when observed, were the primary driver of overall treatment benefit or simply a secondary effect. It also does not prove that adding sleep management components would be effective, only that this has not been adequately researched.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Russell, Charlotte, Kyle, Simon D, & Wearden, Alison J (2017). Do evidence based interventions for chronic fatigue syndrome improve sleep? A systematic review and narrative synthesis.. Sleep medicine reviews. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2016.05.001
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-russell-2017-evidence-based,
author = {Russell, Charlotte and Kyle, Simon D and Wearden, Alison J},
title = {Do evidence based interventions for chronic fatigue syndrome improve sleep? A systematic review and narrative synthesis.},
journal = {Sleep medicine reviews},
year = {2017},
doi = {10.1016/j.smrv.2016.05.001},
note = {PubMed: 27524207},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/russell-2017-evidence-based},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-27. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/russell-2017-evidence-based
Contribute
Private, reviewed by a human. Not a public comment thread.