Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia in the palm of your hand.

Introducing an innovative self-help method of overcoming insomnia through the use of cognitive behavioral therapy in a mobile app. The Night Owl Sleep Coach provides you education in the form of reading and video presentations created by a psychologist and expert in behavioral sleep medicine. Through the use of sleep logs, the app provides you with recommendations tailored to you. Daily tasks are required as you work through the program. This is not a quick fix program and requires a considerable investment of time and effort. The program takes 56 days to complete, but often improvement will be seen before the end of the 56-day period.

The effectiveness of this app was evaluated in a recent study and the results were presented in a poster session at the Sleep 2018 conference. The results showed that the app is helpful in restoring sleep for those with insomnia. Users who completed the app through the end of the program obtained the best results.

Read here: https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsy061.407

Do you have insomnia? Insomnia is trouble getting to sleep or getting back to sleep after nighttime awakenings which contributes to impairment in daytime functioning. It is the most common sleep problem affecting up to 30% of people. It is also one of the most misunderstood. Most healthcare providers don’t know much beyond good sleep hygiene practices. This approach involves a list of recommendations including don’t drink coffee and get out of bed if you can’t sleep. You may be surprised to hear that these recommendations alone have little scientific support as an effective approach for treating insomnia. The most effective treatment for insomnia involves a multi-component cognitive behavioral approach, commonly referred to as (CBT-I). However access to the treatment is limited by a shortage of trained providers. Although in person treatment may be the most effective approach, a self-guided approach can be effective. If interested in seeing a specialist in person a list of behavioral sleep providers with experience in CBT-I can be found at the following website: http://www.behavioralsleep.org/FindSpecialist.aspx.

If you do not have a specialist in your area or would first like to try a self-guided approach, the information in this app can be very helpful in getting you on the road to conquering your insomnia. The app is based on the best of current sleep science and will guide you through a step-by-step approach to rehabilitate your sleep. Please take the following survey to see if you are a candidate for the treatment approach.

Participation candidate survey:

1. Does it take you longer than 30 minutes to fall asleep at night?

2. Are you awake longer than 30 minutes in the middle of the night?

3. Do you wake too early in the morning and can’t get back to sleep?

4. Do you have trouble getting to sleep at your desired time?

5. Have you been diagnosed with bi-polar disorder or a seizure disorder?

If you said yes to any of questions 1-4, and no to question 5 then you may be able to benefit from this program. If you answered yes to question 5, please discuss your candidacy for CBT-I with your physician or try to identify a behavioral sleep specialist in your area.