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A low-threshold sleep intervention for improving sleep quality and well-being.
Esther-Sevil Eigl1, Laura Krystin Urban-Ferreira1, Manuel Schabus1,2
1Laboratory for Sleep, Cognition, and Consciousness Research, Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.
Frontiers in Psychiatry
|March 13, 2023
Summary
Accessible sleep interventions improved sleep quality and well-being. Continuous sleep monitoring with feedback and a single personal session showed positive effects on sleep efficiency and mood.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Science
- Sleep Medicine
- Public Health
Background:
- Approximately 33% of healthy individuals experience sleep problems.
- Few affected individuals seek professional sleep help.
- Accessible, affordable, and effective sleep interventions are needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of a low-threshold sleep intervention.
- Intervention components included sleep data feedback and sleep education.
- Compared interventions against a no-intervention control group.
Main Methods:
- 100 university employees participated in a 2-week randomized controlled study.
- Objective sleep via actigraphy; subjective sleep, mood, and well-being via online questionnaires and diaries.
- Two intervention groups received sleep data feedback, one with additional sleep education; one control group received no intervention.
Main Results:
- Sleep monitoring and minimal intervention improved sleep quality, mood, and vitality (EG1).
- Sleep efficiency (SE) improved in EG1.
- Sleep onset latency (SOL) and well-being improved in EG2.
- The control group showed no improvements.
Conclusions:
- Continuous sleep monitoring with actigraphy-based feedback and a single personal intervention yields small, beneficial effects.
- This approach positively impacts sleep and overall well-being.
- Low-threshold interventions can be effective for sleep problems.
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