The research project needs participants with chronic insomnia, particularly those who have trouble falling asleep. They will be offered an effective treatment program that takes only one night to administer in their own home.

The study is examining an alternative way of delivering a novel treatment for insomnia called Intensive Sleep Retraining (ISR).

Flinders University research has already been shown that ISR can improve sleep and general well-being of insomnia sufferers when it is administered in a sleep laboratory.

More trials will follow to demonstrate the helpfulness of the new THIM wearable device

This particular study is investigating the effectiveness of using a smartphone to administer ISR, which means participants will be at home during their overnight treatment.

This small-scale research project is the start of the final proof of concept of the Flinders Psychology ISR – a research program Emeritus Professor Leon Lack, Flinders University’s well known sleep researcher, started more than a decade ago.

If it is found to be effective, this approach will offer significantly more affordable, flexible and practical way for people with insomnia to receive treatment.

“Generally, insomniacs try to increase their sleep opportunity rather than decrease it. Unfortunately, this usually results in more time awake in bed worrying about being awake,” says Professor Lack.

“Most of the effective behaviour therapies for insomnia involve initially reducing sleep opportunity until the association with the bed environment and desire to sleep is re-associated with sleep rather than wakefulness and worry.”

Professor Lack recently developed a revolutionary wearable tracking device, called THIM, which re-trains insomniacs to get a better night’s sleep, by helping them learn to fall into a longer, deeper sleep pattern.
The new study will be conducted by Professor Leon Lack, Flinders University School of Psychology, Andrew Mair, Master Clinical Psychology Candidate, Flinders University and Dr Jeremy Mercer.

This research has been funded by the Flinders University. Participation in this study will not cost anything.

The study firstly involves a telephone interview about your sleep, health and lifestyle. Depending on your answers, you may be asked to complete some brief online questionnaires about your sleep to assess eligibility for the study.

If you are selected to participate, then you will be invited to undertake an overnight sleep intervention in your home. After treatment, you will be asked to keep a sleep diary for 3 separate weeks and complete several brief questionnaires once a week over 6-week follow-up period.

Please contact [email protected] or [email protected] or call Andrew Mair on 0481 335 002 to discuss your interest.

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