Can’t sleep? Just pretend you’ve popped a pill. Research says that a simple placebo—with no active therapeutic effect—may work to cure insomnia. A team from Oxford University in the UK recruited 30 patients with insomnia who underwent neuro feedback and placebo feedback treatment over a few weeks. After the participants’ assessment of the sleep-wake cycle, they did not find an advantage of neuro feedback over placebo feedback. Indeed, the findings showed that improvement of symptoms was brought about by unspecific factors such as trust, affection and care. So, take a deep breath, hug someone you love, and hit the pillow. Good night!

Photo: 123RF.com
Featured in Harmony — Celebrate Age Magazine
April 2017