App-Supported Sleep Coaching: Implications for Sleep Duration and Sleep Quality

Area of Science:

• Sleep Science
• Behavioral Health
• Digital Health

Background:

• Sleep disturbances are prevalent, impacting overall health and well-being.
• Effective interventions are needed to improve sleep quality and reduce reliance on sleep aids.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a 12-week app-based, personalized text-supported sleep coaching program.
• To assess improvements in sleep continuity, sleep duration, and reduction in sleep aid usage among program completers.

Main Methods:

• A 12-week app-based sleep program with personalized text coaching was utilized.
• 564 participants completed the program, with pre-post assessments of sleep latency (SL), wake after sleep onset (WASO), total sleep time (TST), and sleep efficiency (SE%).
• Proportions of participants showing meaningful improvements were examined.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements were observed: mean SL reduced by 11 minutes, mean WASO by 28 minutes, mean SE% increased by 6.6%, and mean TST by 44 minutes.
• 41% of participants who initially used sleep aids discontinued use by week 12.
• Participants with lower baseline sleep efficiency or duration experienced greater improvements.

Conclusions:

• Completion of the app-based sleep coaching program led to subjective improvements in sleep duration and quality.
• The program demonstrated particularly beneficial effects for individuals with lower baseline sleep efficiency or duration.
• App-based sleep coaching, supported by trained coaches and access to specialists, offers a valuable resource for subclinical populations.