
A small but significant effect in terms of reduced absenteeism attributed to poor sleep and increased job satisfaction was observed at week 24.Regarding productivity at work due to sleep problems, results showed a small to moderate improvement after dCBT.The degree of change for fatigue was moderate to large at weeks four, eight and 24.While the degree of change was relatively small, the changes were statistically significant. Symptoms of depression, anxiety, sleepiness and cognitive failures all demonstrated significant differences in favor of dCBT at weeks four, eight and 24.


Improvements in insomnia mediated these outcomes.
#Global insomnia definition manuals
Program content was based on CBT manuals and included behavioral, cognitive and educational components. Researchers assessed the study participants online at 0 weeks (baseline), four weeks (mid-treatment), eight weeks (post-treatment), and 24 weeks (follow-up).

Sleepio, a digital sleep improvement program featuring CBT techniques designed by Espie, is a product of Big Health.ĭelivery was structured into six sessions lasting an average of 20 minutes each, with participants having access to the intervention for up to 12 weeks. Study participants received treatment using the Sleepioprogram and an associated iOS app. Though insomnia has traditionally been treated with pharmaceuticals, new guidelines published in 2016 by the American College of Physicians recommend that CBT be used first-line, ahead of sleeping pills. Sleep ranks with air, water and food as one of the essentials of life, yet 10 to 12 percent of the population doesn’t get enough of it due to insomnia.” Colin Espie “The fact that we saw improvements in both of these areas shows that the digital program has benefits around the clock.” “Typically, what leads patients to seek treatment is when their insomnia begins to impact their quality of life or daytime functioning,” Ong said. The study provides new evidence that the clinical benefits of digital CBT extend beyond sleep to also improve a person’s daytime functioning. “Our study suggests that digital medicine could be a powerful way to help millions of people not just sleep better, but achieve better mental and physical well-being as a result.” “Sleep ranks with air, water and food as one of the essentials of life, yet 10 to 12 percent of the population doesn’t get enough of it due to insomnia,” said lead study author Colin Espie, Oxford University professor of sleep medicine and chief medical officerof Big Health, a provider of automated and personalized behavioral medicine programs for mental health. Insomnia has been identified as a risk factor for the development of mental health disorders, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. “We can reach many more patients with insomnia by using a digitally based program,” said Ong, associate professor of neurology in sleep medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Study co-author Jason Ong said there is a four-to-six month wait for an insomnia patient to get an appointment in his sleep clinic. Study co-author and associate professor of neurology in sleep medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine The fact that we saw improvements in both shows that the digital program has benefits around the clock.” Jason Ong It also automated and tailored the treatment based on the user’s sleep patterns. 25 in JAMA Psychiatry.Ī major limitation of insomnia treatments is the lack of providers to deliver CBT, but this study used an online platform that made it easily accessible to users. In a year-long study involving 1,711 people, researchers found online cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) improved not only insomnia symptoms, but functional health, psychological well-being and sleep-related quality of life. CHICAGO - Treating insomnia with digital programs can improve insomnia symptoms, daytime functioning and overall health, a new study from the University of Oxford and Northwestern Medicine has found.
