skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Moms have a new source of help for putting baby to sleep – the Internet. A yearlong review of the online Customized Sleep Profile shows that the advice given out there worked. Babies and toddlers – and their mothers – were able to sleep better as a result.
The Customized Sleep Profile has a database of sleep information stored in its memory. The information is separated into categories based on a child’s age. When a mom accesses the online program, she fills out a series of questions about her child and her child’s sleep habits. The program analyzes mom’s answers and finds comparable examples in its database.
Suggestions for improving the child’s sleep are based on these examples. The suggestions include things like following a regular bedtime routine, stopping night feedings, and answering fewer cries in the night.
The Customized Sleep Profile is available for free from Johnson & Johnson at http://www.johnsonsbaby.com/sleep .
To test the effectiveness of the Customized Sleep Profile, researchers sent surveys to 264 mothers who were using the online program. After three weeks, 90 percent of the moms said the Customized Sleep Profile was helpful and that they planned to continue using it. Their children were sleeping longer and waking up fewer times during the night, the moms said.
The moms also reported less tension, depression, fatigue and confusion because their babies were sleeping better.
A year later, researchers followed up with 171 of the moms still using the program. Their study was published in the Oct. 15 edition of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. The results show that the Customized Sleep Profile continued to be a valuable resource.
Read more about this study, or additional blog posts about infants and toddlers. The AASM has more about children’s sleep needs on the Your Sleep website.
Photo By: David Clow
Research continues to show that online cognitive behavioral therapy may be an effective treatment for adults with ongoing insomnia.
A new study involved 44 people with an average age of 45 years. They had struggled with insomnia for an average of more than 10 years; most of the participants were women.
Half of the group was put on a wait list as a control; the other half completed a nine-week, online CBT program called “Sleep Healthy Using the Internet” – or SHUTi.
Results show that insomnia severity improved significantly for the Internet group; there was only a slight improvement for the control group. Members of the treatment group spent less time awake during the night. Their sleep also was more efficient; a higher percentage of their total time in bed was spent sleeping.
The online treatment also had a long-lasting effect; members of the Internet group were still sleeping better at a six-month follow-up.
SHUTi was developed at the University of Virginia Health System. The lead author of the new study was SHUTi creator Lee Ritterband, PhD. He also is the co-founder of the International Society for Research on Internet Interventions.
The AP reports that SHUTi is highly interactive; it uses stories, quizzes and games to teach healthy sleep habits. It also gives personalized advice based on a completed sleep diary.
The content is divided into core units that focus on specific methods for improving sleep. These include sleep restriction, stimulus control, sleep hygiene, cognitive restructuring and relapse prevention.
These methods are based on traditional, face-to-face CBT. The AASM recommends CBT as an effective treatment for chronic insomnia in adults.
In June the Sleep Education Blog reported on a study of another online CBT program. The five-week program helped most people in the treatment group; 81 percent reported at least mild improvement in their sleep.
Research has shown that cognitive behavioral therapy is an effective treatment option for chronic insomnia. But can online CBT help you sleep better?
Some health insurers think so. In November the L.A. Times reported that online CBT for insomnia is covered by some insurance providers.
Now a new study published today in the journal Sleep adds to the evidence supporting online CBT for insomnia. Results show that a five-week, online CBT program helped most people in the treatment group; 81 percent reported at least mild improvement in their sleep.
A TIME article reported today that there are many positive aspects of online CBT. It can be available to anyone with Internet access. Users also may be able to proceed at their own pace and repeat material as needed.
But some people may fail to follow through with an online treatment program. In the current study there was a 33-percent drop-out rate.
A few previous studies of online CBT for insomnia provided mixed results. An abstract presented at SLEEP 2008 involved a six-week program. Results show that participants increased their average, nightly total sleep time by 80 minutes.
A 2008 study from Japan evaluated a two-week program. Sleep quality and sleep-related behaviors improved significantly. After treatment participants were able to fall asleep about eight minutes faster. But there was little change in total sleep time.
A 2004 study from Sweden used a five-week program. Sleep improved in both the treatment group and the control group.
So what’s the bottom line? Online CBT programs have great potential for people who suffer from chronic insomnia. But they may need to be fine-tuned to maximize their effectiveness.
Go to SleepEducation.com to get more details about online CBT for insomnia.
Posts
