The Tapping Evidence Base
Sleep & Insomnia

A Preliminary Study to Evaluate the Effects of an EFT Insomnia Program (EFT-I) on Insomnia in the Elderly

Unknown, et al. · Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry (동의신경정신과학회지) · 2011

Outcome study👥 10 participantsPreliminary✓ Source-checked📍 South Korea
In plain English. Ten older Korean women, average age in their mid-70s, struggling with insomnia tried a four-week group tapping program designed specifically for elderly sleep problems. By the end, their sleep, mood, anxiety, and life satisfaction all showed a real improvement — unlikely to be chance — and the sleep gains held up a month later. With only ten participants and no comparison group, this is best read as an early, promising pilot rather than proof.

What they found

10
people took part

Ten elderly women completed a 4-week EFT-I (EFT for insomnia) group program; all four outcome measures (sleep, depression, state anxiety, life satisfaction) showed statistically significant improvement (p<0.01), and improvement in insomnia continued at 4-week follow-up.

How the study worked

Who took partelderly Korean women (mean age 76.3) with insomnia recruited from a senior welfare center (n=10)
What they didParticipants received tapping and were measured before and after, without a separate comparison group.
Measured withsleep scale, short-form geriatric depression scale, state anxiety scale, life satisfaction scale

💡 Where this could help

If findings like these hold up in larger trials, the promise is simple: a low-cost, self-administered tool that could reach people struggling with sleep & insomnia who can't easily access traditional care — at home, between appointments, or where there aren't enough clinicians to go around.

🔬 What to study next

The natural next step: a head-to-head trial against an established treatment like CBT, and a larger sample to confirm the effect.

The full record

DesignOutcome study
Participants10 people
Populationelderly Korean women (mean age 76.3) with insomnia recruited from a senior welfare center
Outcome measuressleep scale, short-form geriatric depression scale, state anxiety scale, life satisfaction scale
JournalJournal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry (동의신경정신과학회지)
Year2011
CountrySouth Korea
LanguageKorean
MethodEFT / tapping
Publication typeStudy / trial
Verification✓ Confirmed against the primary source

Read the original study →

Cite this study

APA

Unknown, & et al. (2011). A Preliminary Study to Evaluate the Effects of an EFT Insomnia Program (EFT-I) on Insomnia in the Elderly. Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry (동의신경정신과학회지).

This record is part of the Tapping Evidence Base — an openly-sourced, fully-referenced directory of the research on EFT/tapping. Explore more studies on Sleep & Insomnia

Share this study

A ready-made graphic — right-click or long-press to save the image.

Show shareable card
THE TAPPING EVIDENCE BASE Sleep & Insomnia 10 participants WHAT THEY FOUND Ten elderly women completed a 4-week EFT-I(EFT for insomnia) group program; all fouroutcome measures (sleep… Outcome study · 10 participants Unknown · 2011 · evidence.thetappingsolution.com