An effective insomnia alternative is self-guided digital behavioral therapy, according to a study led by Dr Alexander Sweetman from Flinders University
Although cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTi) is effective when performed under the guidance of a therapist, it is often inaccessible to people suffering from comorbid insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). So, to reduce dependence on sleeping pills and make CBTi more accessible to all patients, researchers from Flinders University and the University of Western Australia developed and tested a self-guided digital CBTi program they called “Bedtime Window”.
“The program is designed for people suffering from insomnia and COMISA. Each weekly session lasts approximately 20-30 minutes and includes short videos, images and text-based information,” says Dr. Sweetman to News Medical Life Sciences.
Insomnia is a sleep disorder characterized by persistent difficulty falling asleep. This can be caused by stress, anxiety or trauma, and over time it has been associated with an increased risk of mental health disorders or cardiovascular diseases.
Approximately 30-40% of people with insomnia have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) associated with various pathologies, and these people have a reduced quality of sleep, affecting daily activities and productivity. In these people the mortality rates are almost double compared to people without these conditions.
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Bedtime Window was tested for 18 months by 62 adult insomnia patients in Australia and proved to be a user-friendly program. It provided patients with significant improvements in sleep, mental health and implicit daytime cognitive functions. Moreover, the program showed high efficiency also in patients with COMISA.
“The program contains algorithms that continuously assess symptoms of sleepiness and alertness and provide personalized recommendations to treat insomnia without increasing daytime sleepiness” – adds Dr. Sweetman in the same interview.
Bedtime Window treatment includes psychoeducation, stimulus control therapy, sleep restriction therapy, but also cognitive therapy or information about sleep hygiene.
Although the results of the study were positive, further research is needed to determine exactly how safe and effective this digital therapy is for people with insomnia and sleep apnea.
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2024-03-29 15:19:32
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