Improving sleep health in paramedics through an app-based intervention: a randomised waitlist control pilot trial

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Sleep Medicine
• Digital Health Interventions

Background:

• Shiftworkers frequently experience inadequate sleep, negatively impacting health, well-being, and safety.
• Lifestyle and environmental factors offer intervention opportunities for shiftworkers with limited work control.
• Interventions must be tailored for the specific needs of sleep-vulnerable populations like shiftworkers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effectiveness of the mobile health application Sleepfit for improving sleep health and hygiene in paramedic shiftworkers.
• To assess self-reported sleep health and sleep hygiene outcomes using validated measures.
• To evaluate the intervention's impact compared to a waitlist control group.

Main Methods:

• A randomized waitlist control pilot trial was conducted with 58 paramedics.
• Participants used the Sleepfit app for a 14-day tailored sleep health intervention.
• Sleep health and hygiene were measured at baseline, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up.

Main Results:

• A significant reduction in Insomnia Severity Index and Sleep Hygiene Index scores was observed post-intervention for all participants.
• No significant intervention effect on overall sleep health or sleep hygiene outcomes was found between the intervention and control groups.
• A high study dropout rate (91.4%) precluded 3-month follow-up assessments.

Conclusions:

• The Sleepfit app shows potential for improving sleep health and hygiene in paramedics.
• Low enrollment and retention rates necessitate cautious interpretation of findings.
• Engagement challenges with digital sleep interventions among paramedics require further investigation.