The Tapping Evidence Base
Sleep & Insomnia · Depression

A comparison of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT-I) and Sleep Hygiene Education (SHE) in a geriatric population: A randomized controlled trial

Lee, J.H., Chung, S.Y., Kim, J.W. · Energy Psychology Journal · 2015

Randomized trial👥 20 participants⚖️ vs. Sleep Hygiene EducationModerate rigor✓ Source-checked📍 South Korea
In plain English. Twenty women in their 80s with insomnia were split into two group-therapy tracks — one learning standard sleep hygiene, the other an insomnia-adapted version of tapping — and the tapping group came out ahead on both insomnia and depression scores. Neither approach moved the needle on anxiety or life satisfaction. With just 20 participants split two ways, this is a small trial best read as an early comparative signal rather than a definitive answer.

What they found

20
people took part

In 20 elderly women (mean age 80) randomized to group EFT-I or Sleep Hygiene Education across eight 1-hour sessions, EFT was superior to SHE for insomnia severity and depression, though neither group showed significant improvement in anxiety or life satisfaction.

How the study worked

Who took partelderly women (mean age 80) with insomnia (n=20)
What they didIn a randomized controlled trial, participants were randomly assigned to receive tapping or a comparison condition, then measured and compared.
Compared withSleep Hygiene Education
Measured withinsomnia severity, depression, anxiety, life satisfaction

💡 Where this could help

If tapping's edge over sleep hygiene here replicates in bigger samples, picture a woman in her 80s who's struggled with sleep and low mood for years, given a group program that teaches her a technique she can keep administering to herself afterward, helping with both sleep and mood at once rather than needing separate ongoing care for each. That combined benefit could matter for the oldest adults juggling multiple health concerns with limited energy for separate treatments.

🔬 What to study next

Swapping self-reported insomnia severity for actigraphy or take-home sleep monitoring would show whether the subjective improvement in this group of elderly women actually matches objectively measured sleep. A larger sample would also help clarify why anxiety and life satisfaction didn't improve in either group — was that a dose issue, a measurement issue, or a real ceiling on what this format can do for the oldest, most physically burdened patients?

The full record

DesignRandomized trial
Participants20 people
Populationelderly women (mean age 80) with insomnia
Comparison groupSleep Hygiene Education
Outcome measuresinsomnia severity, depression, anxiety, life satisfaction
JournalEnergy Psychology Journal
Year2015
CountrySouth Korea
LanguageEnglish
MethodEFT / tapping
Publication typeStudy / trial
Verification✓ Confirmed against the primary source

Read the original study →

Cite this study

APA

Lee, J.H., Chung, S.Y., & Kim, J.W. (2015). A comparison of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT-I) and Sleep Hygiene Education (SHE) in a geriatric population: A randomized controlled trial. Energy Psychology Journal. https://doi.org/10.9769/EPJ.2015.07.01.JHL

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 · Depression

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THE TAPPING EVIDENCE BASE Sleep & Insomnia 20 participants WHAT THEY FOUND In 20 elderly women (mean age 80) randomizedto group EFT-I or Sleep Hygiene Educationacross eight 1-hour sessions… Randomized trial · 20 participants Lee · 2015 · evidence.thetappingsolution.com