0383 SLEEP DEFICITS CAN BE EFFICIENTLY TREATED USING E-THERAPY AND A SMARTPHONE

Abstract

Introduction: Sleep deficiencies, such as insomnia are prevalent. They are known to affect mood, performance and wellbeing and were even linked to increased morbidity. Mobile technology and the growing availability of wearable devices open new opportunities for selfhelp for sleep disorders. We present a novel mobile e-therapy service, SleepRate, that combines: (1) sleep evaluation based on reported and subjective data; (2) quantified sleep architecture measurement derived from Heart Rate Variability; (3) Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Method(s): 297 users have started the sleep improvement e-therapy, over a period of 15 months, and adhered with the program for at least 20 days. The night sleep was characterized using the following parameters: total sleep time, sleep efficiency, sleep latency and wake after sleep onset (WASO). Each of these parameters had a subjective and objective value. In addition, the users reported their sleep satisfaction and daily sleepiness. The first 6 nights (assessment stage) were compared with the 15th-20th nights (during CBT stage) using paired t-test with p<0.05 as the criterion for statistical significance. Result(s): Average perceived sleep latency improved significantly with e-therapy from 23.5+/-1.3 minute (mean+/-SE) to 20.6+/-1.1 minutes. Objective WASO improved significantly from 50.6+/-1.0 minute to 48.8+/-0.9 minutes. In addition, the subjective sleep satisfaction increased significantly from 45.7+/-0.7 to 47.1+/-0.7 while the reported daytime sleepiness decreased significantly from 21.5+/-1.1 to 18.3+/-1, demonstrating the positive impact e-therapy has on sleep. Conclusion(s): The availability of devices that are capable of evaluating objectively sleep duration, structure and quality allows having a deeper understanding of sleep in the natural sleep environment. The findings indicate that after 20 days of adherence with the program, there was significant improvement in several sleep variables. In addition, they show that while the service was efficient, the main barriers were users' engagement and the availability of accurate and minimally intrusive wearables. These barriers are likely to diminish with the improvement of wearable technology.