On the Efficacy of a CBT-I-Based Online Program for Sleep Problems: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Area of Science:

• Sleep Medicine
• Digital Health
• Behavioral Therapy

Background:

• Insomnia is a prevalent sleep disorder with a significant treatment gap.
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is effective but often inaccessible.
• Online CBT-I programs offer a potential solution to increase accessibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of a 6-week online CBT-I program on sleep.
• To compare the online CBT-I program against an active control group receiving sleep hygiene education.
• To assess both objective and subjective sleep parameters.

Main Methods:

• Randomized controlled trial with 53 participants suffering from impaired sleep.
• Experimental group received a 6-week online CBT-I program.
• Control group received psychoeducation and sleep hygiene instructions. Sleep was assessed using ambulatory polysomnography (PSG) and questionnaires.

Main Results:

• The online CBT-I group showed significant improvements in objective sleep efficiency and reduced wake after sleep onset.
• Subjective sleep quality and insomnia severity significantly improved in the online CBT-I group.
• Improvements in the online CBT-I group were maintained at one-month follow-up.

Conclusions:

• An online CBT-I program is effective in improving both objective and subjective sleep parameters.
• This digital intervention can help bridge the treatment gap for insomnia.
• Online CBT-I represents a viable and accessible alternative to traditional face-to-face therapy.