Sleepio

Description:

Sleepio consists of six lessons, taking an average of around 20 minutes each, incorporating CBT and education treatment methods. The course is delivered by an animated character "the Prof", with content personalised using an algorithm driven by the results of an initial assessment of treatment goals and current level of symptoms, as well as by ongoing entries in a sleep diary. Behavioural elements of the program include sleep restriction, stimulus control and progressive relaxation. Cognitive elements of the prgram include paradoxical intention, belief restructuring and mindfulness. The course also provides Information about sleep processes and sleep hygeine as well as an optional online support group, which includes weekly question and answer sessions with a sleep expert and discussion forums.  

Service URL:

https://www.sleepio.com/

Agency Responsible:

Big Health.

Details

Format:

Website.

Intervention Type:

Psychological – CBT. and education

Course Length:

Long (more than 5 modules). 6 lessons

Support Option:

Automated only. by personalised e-mail and SMS

Target Audience

Primary Category:

Sleep / insomnia.

Target Audience:

Adult.

Language:

English.

Access

Fee:

Fee-based. $400 for 12 months (some free places may be available in research trials)

Access:

Closed: Fee required.

Contact Details:

hello@sleepio.com

Research evidence

Research Trials:

6

Research RCTs:

4

Outcome Summary:

Sleepio has been tested in four RCTs and one large scale open trial in a university setting . In the first RCT (1) N=164 participants satisfying the DSM-V criteria for insomnia disorder were randomised to Sleepio, Imagery Relief Therapy (IRT) (attentional control) or treatment as usual. Sleepio performed significantly better than either control group on a measure of sleep efficiency (d=0.95 - 1.06) and on the Sleep Condition Indicator (SCI) (d=0.77 - 1.20). In two subsequent RCTs Sleepio was tested in workplace samples against a waitlist control group and resulted in significant improvements in insomnia. The first of these (2) had N=270 and found an effect size of d=1.10 on the SCI, while the other (3) also found significant improvements with sample size N=223. 

The fourth RCT (6) was looking at a sample of N=134 with high blood pressure and self-reported sleep difficulties. The study was looking to see if Sleepio could help to lower blood pressure. While no significant results on blood pressure were observed, the intervention group saw significantly better improvements in sleep efficiency and quality. A dose response effect was observed, with significantly better results seen in those who completed three or more lessons.

Sleepio has also been tested in a large sample (N=3,755) of university students with insomnia. In this trial (4) the intervention group had significantly reduced insomnia after ten weeks (d=1.11), along with reeductions in hallucinations and paranoid thoughts. In a community based trial (5) N=85 users of Sleepio had reduced depressive and anxious symptoms.

Recommended rating, reviewer 1:

Recommended rating, reviewer 2:

Read more about Beacon's Smiley Rating System.

Research paper citations

RCTs:

(1) Colin A. Espie, Simon D. Kyle, Chris Williams, Jason C. Ong, Neil J. Douglas, Peter Hames, June S.L. Brown; A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Online Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Insomnia Disorder Delivered via an Automated Media-Rich Web Application, Sleep, Volume 35, Issue 6, 1 June 2012, Pages 769–781

(2) Bostock, S., Luik, A. I., & Espie, C. A. (2016). Sleep and productivity benefits of digital cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia: a randomized controlled trial conducted in the workplace environment. Journal of occupational and environmental medicine, 58(7), 683-689.

(3) Barnes, C. M., Miller, J. A., & Bostock, S. (2017). Helping employees sleep well: Effects of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia on work outcomes. Journal of Applied Psychology, 102(1), 104.

(6) Emer R. McGrath, Colin A. Espie, Alice Power, Andrew W. Murphy, John Newell, Caroline Kelly, Niamh Duffy, Patricia Gunning, Irene Gibson, Sophie Bostock, Martin J. O’Donnell; Sleep to Lower Elevated Blood Pressure: A Randomized Controlled Trial (SLEPT), American Journal of Hypertension, Volume 30, Issue 3, 1 March 2017, Pages 319–327

Other evidence:

(4) Freeman, D., Sheaves, B., Goodwin, G. M., Yu, L. M., Nickless, A., Harrison, P. J., ... & Hinds, C. (2017). The effects of improving sleep on mental health (OASIS): a randomised controlled trial with mediation analysis. The Lancet Psychiatry, 4(10), 749-758.

(5) Elison, S., Ward, J., Williams, C., Espie, C., Davies, G., Dugdale, S., ... & Smith, K. (2017). Feasibility of a UK community-based, eTherapy mental health service in Greater Manchester: repeated-measures and between-groups study of ‘Living Life to the Full Interactive’,‘Sleepio’and ‘Breaking Free Online’at ‘Self Help Services’. BMJ open, 7(7), e016392.

(7) Leigh, S., Ouyang, J., & Mimnagh, C. (2017). Effective? Engaging? Secure? Applying the ORCHA-24 framework to evaluate apps for chronic insomnia disorder. Evidence-based mental health, ebmental-2017.

Espie, C. A., Kyle, S. D., Miller, C. B., Ong, J., Hames, P., & Fleming, L. (2014). Attribution, cognition and psychopathology in persistent insomnia disorder: outcome and mediation analysis from a randomized placebo-controlled trial of online cognitive behavioural therapy. Sleep medicine, 15(8), 913-917.

Freeman, D., Sheaves, B., Goodwin, G. M., Yu, L. M., Harrison, P. J., Emsley, R., ... & Espie, C. A. (2015). Effects of cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia on the mental health of university students: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials, 16(1), 236.

Pinheiro, M. B., Ho, K. K., Ferreira, M. L., Refshauge, K. M., Grunstein, R., Hopper, J. L., ... & Ferreira, P. H. (2016). Efficacy of a sleep quality intervention in people with low back pain: Protocol for a feasibility randomized co-twin controlled trial. Twin Research and Human Genetics, 19(5), 492-501.

Coulson, N. S., Smedley, R., Bostock, S., Kyle, S. D., Gollancz, R., Luik, A. I., ... & Espie, C. A. (2016). The pros and cons of getting engaged in an online social community embedded within digital cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia: survey among users. Journal of medical Internet research, 18(4).

Espie, C. A., Luik, A. I., Cape, J., Drake, C. L., Siriwardena, A. N., Ong, J. C., ... & Sheaves, B. (2016). Digital cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia versus sleep hygiene education: the impact of improved sleep on functional health, quality of life and psychological well-being. Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. Trials, 17(1), 257.

Cowie, J., Bower, J. L., Gonzalez, R., & Alfano, C. A. (2017). Multimedia Field Test: Digitalizing Better Sleep Using the Sleepio Program. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice.