Subtyping at-risk adolescents for predicting response toward insomnia prevention program

BACKGROUND

Previous study has shown that a brief cognitive-behavioral prevention insomnia program could reduce 71% risk of developing insomnia among at-risk adolescents. This study aimed to evaluate the differential response to insomnia prevention in subgroups of at-risk adolescents.

METHODS

Adolescents with a family history of insomnia and subthreshold insomnia symptoms were randomly assigned to a 4-week insomnia prevention program or nonactive control group. Assessments were conducted at baseline, 1 week, and 6- and 12-month after the intervention. Baseline sleep, daytime, and mood profiles were used to determine different subgroups by using latent class analysis (LCA). Analyses were conducted based on the intention-to-treat approach.

RESULTS

LCA identified three subgroups: (a) insomnia symptoms only, (b) insomnia symptoms with daytime sleepiness and mild anxiety, and (c) insomnia symptoms with daytime sleepiness, mild anxiety, and depression. The incidence rate of insomnia disorder over the 12-month follow-up was significantly reduced for adolescents receiving intervention in subgroup 3 compared with the controls (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.37; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.13-0.99; p = .049) and marginally for subgroup 2 (HR = 0.14; 95% CI: 0.02-1.08; p = .059). In addition, adolescents who received intervention in subgroups 2 and 3 had a reduced risk of excessive daytime sleepiness (subgroup 2: adjusted OR [AdjOR] = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.23-0.87; subgroup 3: AdjOR = 0.32, 95% CI: 0.13-0.76) and possible anxiety (subgroup 2: AdjOR = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.27-0.82; subgroup 3: AdjOR = 0.33, 95% CI: 0.14-0.78) compared with the controls over the 12-month follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Adolescents at risk for insomnia can be classified into different subgroups according to their psychological profiles, which were associated with differential responses to the insomnia prevention program. These findings indicate the need for further phenotyping and subgrouping at-risk adolescents to develop personalized insomnia prevention.

Nightmare frequency is a risk factor for suicidal ideation during the COVID-19 pandemic

The association between nightmare frequency (NMF) and suicidal ideation (SI) is well known, yet the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on this relation is inconsistent. This study aimed to investigate changes in NMF, SI, and their association during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected in 16 countries using a harmonised questionnaire. The sample included 9328 individuals (4848 women; age M[SD] = 46.85 [17.75] years), and 17.60% reported previous COVID-19. Overall, SI was significantly 2% lower during the pandemic vs. before, and this was consistent across genders and ages. Most countries/regions demonstrated decreases in SI during this pandemic, with Austria (-9.57%), Sweden (-6.18%), and Bulgaria (-5.14%) exhibiting significant declines in SI, but Italy (1.45%) and Portugal (2.45%) demonstrated non-significant increases. Suicidal ideation was more common in participants with long-COVID (21.10%) vs. short-COVID (12.40%), though SI did not vary by COVID-19 history. Nightmare frequency increased by 4.50% during the pandemic and was significantly higher in those with previous COVID-19 (14.50% vs. 10.70%), during infection (23.00% vs. 8.10%), and in those with long-COVID (18.00% vs. 8.50%). The relation between NMF and SI was not significantly stronger during the pandemic than prior (rs = 0.18 vs. 0.14; z = 2.80). Frequent nightmares during the pandemic increased the likelihood of reporting SI (OR = 1.57, 95% CI 1.20-2.05), while frequent dream recall during the pandemic served a protective effect (OR = 0.74, 95% CI 0.59-0.94). These findings have important implications for identifying those at risk of suicide and may offer a potential pathway for suicide prevention.

Estimation bias and agreement limits between two common self-report methods of habitual sleep duration in epidemiological surveys

Accurate measurement of habitual sleep duration (HSD) is crucial for understanding the relationship between sleep and health. This study aimed to assess the bias and agreement limits between two commonly used short HSD self-report methods, considering sleep quality (SQ) and social jetlag (SJL) as potential predictors of bias. Data from 10,268 participants in the International COVID Sleep Study-II (ICOSS-II) were used. Method-Self and Method-MCTQ were compared. Method-Self involved a single question about average nightly sleep duration (HSDself), while Method-MCTQ estimated HSD from reported sleep times on workdays (HSDMCTQwork) and free days (HSDMCTQfree). Sleep quality was evaluated using a Likert scale and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) to explore its influence on estimation bias. HSDself was on average 42.41 ± 67.42 min lower than HSDMCTQweek, with an agreement range within ± 133 min. The bias and agreement range between methods increased with poorer SQ. HSDMCTQwork showed less bias and better agreement with HSDself compared to HSDMCTQfree. Sleep duration irregularity was - 43.35 ± 78.26 min on average. Subjective sleep quality predicted a significant proportion of variance in HSDself and estimation bias. The two methods showed very poor agreement and a significant systematic bias, both worsening with poorer SQ. Method-MCTQ considered sleep intervals without adjusting for SQ issues such as wakefulness after sleep onset but accounted for sleep irregularity and sleeping in on free days, while Method-Self reflected respondents' interpretation of their sleep, focusing on their sleep on workdays. Including an SQ-related question in surveys may help bidirectionally adjust the possible bias and enhance the accuracy of sleep-health studies.

Habitual short sleepers with pre-existing medical conditions are at higher risk of Long COVID

STUDY OBJECTIVES

Preliminary evidence suggests that the risk of Long COVID is higher among people with pre-existing medical conditions. Based on its proven adjuvant role in immunity, habitual sleep duration may alter the risk of developing Long COVID. The objective of this study was to determine whether the odds of Long COVID are higher among those with pre-existing medical conditions, and whether the strength of this association varies by habitual sleep duration.

METHODS

Using data from 13,461 respondents from 16 countries who participated in the 2021 survey-based International COVID Sleep Study II (ICOSS II), we studied the associations between habitual sleep duration, pre-existing medical conditions, and Long COVID.

RESULTS

Of 2,508 individuals who had COVID-19, 61% reported at least 1 Long COVID symptom. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of having Long COVID was 1.8-fold higher for average-length sleepers (6-9 h/night) with pre-existing medical conditions compared with those without pre-existing medical conditions (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.84 [1.18-2.90]; P = .008). The risk of Long COVID was 3-fold higher for short sleepers with pre-existing medical conditions (aOR 2.95 [1.04-8.4]; P = .043) and not significantly higher for long sleepers with pre-existing conditions (aOR 2.11 [0.93-4.77]; P = .073) compared with average-length sleepers without pre-existing conditions.

CONCLUSIONS

Habitual short nighttime sleep duration exacerbated the risk of Long COVID in individuals with pre-existing conditions. Restoring nighttime sleep to average duration represents a potentially modifiable behavioral factor to lower the odds of Long COVID for at-risk patients.

CITATION

Berezin L, Waseem R, Merikanto I, et al. Habitual short sleepers with pre-existing medical conditions are at higher risk of long COVID. J Clin Sleep Med. 2024;20(1):111-119.

Effect of Psychological and Medication Therapies for Insomnia on Daytime Functions: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance

Daytime functional impairments are the primary reasons for patients with insomnia to seek treatment, yet little is known about what the optimal treatment is for improving daytime functions and how best to proceed with treatment for patients whose insomnia has not remitted.

Objectives

To compare the efficacy of behavioral therapy (BT) and zolpidem as initial therapies for improving daytime functions among patients with insomnia and evaluate the added value of a second treatment for patients whose insomnia has not remitted.

Design, Setting, and Participants

In this sequential multiple-assignment randomized clinical trial conducted at institutions in Canada and the US, 211 adults with chronic insomnia disorder were enrolled between May 1, 2012, and December 31, 2015, and followed up for 12 months. Statistical analyses were performed on an intention-to-treat basis in April and October 2023.

Interventions

Participants were randomly assigned to either BT or zolpidem as first-stage therapy, and those whose insomnia had not remitted received a second-stage psychological therapy (BT or cognitive therapy) or medication therapy (zolpidem or trazodone).

Main Outcomes and Measures

Study outcomes were daytime symptoms of insomnia, including mood disturbances, fatigue, functional impairments of insomnia, and scores on the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) physical and mental health components.

Results

Among 211 adults with insomnia (132 women [63%]; mean [SD] age, 45.6 [14.9] years), 104 were allocated to BT and 107 to zolpidem at the first stage. First-stage treatment with BT or zolpidem yielded significant and equivalent benefits for most of the daytime outcomes, including depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory-II mean score change, -3.5 [95% CI, -4.7 to -2.3] vs -4.3 [95% CI, -5.7 to -2.9]), fatigue (Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory mean score change, -4.7 [95% CI, -7.3 to -2.2] vs -5.2 [95% CI, -7.9 to -2.5]), functional impairments (Work and Social Adjustment Scale mean score change, -5.0 [95% CI, -6.7 to -3.3] vs -5.1 [95% CI, -7.2 to -2.9]), and mental health (SF-36 mental health subscale mean score change, 3.5 [95% CI, 1.9-5.1] vs 2.5 [95% CI, 0.4-4.5]), while BT produced larger improvements for anxiety symptoms relative to zolpidem (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory mean score change, -4.1 [95% CI, -5.8 to -2.4] vs -1.2 [95% CI, -3.0 to 0.5]; P = .02; Cohen d = 0.55). Second-stage therapy produced additional improvements for the 2 conditions starting with zolpidem at posttreatment in fatigue (Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory mean score change: zolpidem plus BT, -3.8 [95% CI, -7.1 to -0.4]; zolpidem plus trazodone, -3.7 [95% CI, -6.3 to -1.1]), functional impairments (Work and Social Adjustment Scale mean score change: zolpidem plus BT, -3.7 [95% CI, -6.4 to -1.0]; zolpidem plus trazodone, -3.3 [95% CI, -5.9 to -0.7]) and mental health (SF-36 mental health subscale mean score change: zolpidem plus BT, 5.3 [95% CI, 2.7-7.9]; zolpidem plus trazodone, 2.0 [95% CI, 0.1-4.0]). Treatment benefits achieved at posttreatment were well maintained throughout the 12-month follow-up, and additional improvements were noted for patients receiving the BT treatment sequences.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this randomized clinical trial of adults with insomnia disorder, BT and zolpidem produced improvements for various daytime symptoms of insomnia that were no different between treatments. Adding a second treatment offered an added value with further improvements of daytime functions.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01651442.

The association of insomnia with long COVID: An international collaborative study (ICOSS-II)

OBJECTIVE

There is evidence of a strong association between insomnia and COVID-19, yet few studies have examined the relationship between insomnia and long COVID. This study aimed to investigate whether COVID-19 patients with pre-pandemic insomnia have a greater risk of developing long COVID and whether long COVID is in turn associated with higher incident rates of insomnia symptoms after infection.

METHODS

Data were collected cross-sectionally (May-Dec 2021) as part of an international collaborative study involving participants from 16 countries. A total of 2311 participants (18-99 years old) with COVID-19 provided valid responses to a web-based survey about sleep, insomnia, and health-related variables. Log-binomial regression was used to assess bidirectional associations between insomnia and long COVID. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, and health conditions, including sleep apnea, attention and memory problems, chronic fatigue, depression, and anxiety.

RESULTS

COVID-19 patients with pre-pandemic insomnia showed a higher risk of developing long COVID than those without pre-pandemic insomnia (70.8% vs 51.4%; adjusted relative risk [RR]: 1.33, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07-1.65). Among COVID-19 cases without pre-pandemic insomnia, the rates of incident insomnia symptoms after infection were 24.1% for short COVID cases and 60.6% for long COVID cases (p < .001). Compared with short COVID cases, long COVID cases were associated with an increased risk of developing insomnia symptoms (adjusted RR: 2.00; 95% CI: 1.50-2.66).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings support a bidirectional relationship between insomnia and long COVID. These findings highlight the importance of addressing sleep and insomnia in the prevention and management of long COVID.

Associations between changes in habitual sleep duration and lower self-rated health among COVID-19 survivors: findings from a survey across 16 countries/regions

BACKGROUND

Self-rated health (SRH) is widely recognized as a clinically significant predictor of subsequent mortality risk. Although COVID-19 may impair SRH, this relationship has not been extensively examined. The present study aimed to examine the correlation between habitual sleep duration, changes in sleep duration after infection, and SRH in subjects who have experienced SARS-CoV-2 infection.

METHODS

Participants from 16 countries participated in the International COVID Sleep Study-II (ICOSS-II) online survey in 2021. A total of 10,794 of these participants were included in the analysis, including 1,509 COVID-19 individuals (who reported that they had tested positive for COVID-19). SRH was evaluated using a 0-100 linear visual analog scale. Habitual sleep durations of < 6 h and > 9 h were defined as short and long habitual sleep duration, respectively. Changes in habitual sleep duration after infection of ≤ -2 h and ≥ 1 h were defined as decreased or increased, respectively.

RESULTS

Participants with COVID-19 had lower SRH scores than non-infected participants, and those with more severe COVID-19 had a tendency towards even lower SRH scores. In a multivariate regression analysis of participants who had experienced COVID-19, both decreased and increased habitual sleep duration after infection were significantly associated with lower SRH after controlling for sleep quality (β = -0.056 and -0.058, respectively, both p < 0.05); however, associations between current short or long habitual sleep duration and SRH were negligible. Multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that decreased habitual sleep duration was significantly related to increased fatigue (odds ratio [OR] = 1.824, p < 0.01), shortness of breath (OR = 1.725, p < 0.05), diarrhea/nausea/vomiting (OR = 2.636, p < 0.01), and hallucinations (OR = 5.091, p < 0.05), while increased habitual sleep duration was significantly related to increased fatigue (OR = 1.900, p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Changes in habitual sleep duration following SARS-CoV-2 infection were associated with lower SRH. Decreased or increased habitual sleep duration might have a bidirectional relation with post-COVID-19 symptoms. Further research is needed to better understand the mechanisms underlying these relationships for in order to improve SRH in individuals with COVID-19.

Online sleep diaries: considerations for system development and recommendations for data management

STUDY OBJECTIVES

To present development considerations for online sleep diary systems that result in robust, interpretable, and reliable data; furthermore, to describe data management procedures to address common data entry errors that occur despite those considerations.

METHODS

The online sleep diary capture component of the Sleep Healthy Using the Internet (SHUTi) intervention has been designed to promote data integrity. Features include diary entry restrictions to limit retrospective bias, reminder prompts and data visualizations to support user engagement, and data validation checks to reduce data entry errors. Despite these features, data entry errors still occur. Data management procedures relying largely on programming syntax to minimize researcher effort and maximize reliability and replicability. Presumed data entry errors are identified where users are believed to have incorrectly selected a date or AM versus PM on the 12-hour clock. Following these corrections, diaries are identified that have unresolvable errors, like negative total sleep time.

RESULTS

Using the example of one of our fully-powered, U.S. national SHUTi randomized controlled trials, we demonstrate the application of these procedures: of 45,598 total submitted diaries, 487 diaries (0.01%) required modification due to date and/or AM/PM errors and 27 diaries (<0.001%) were eliminated due to unresolvable errors.

CONCLUSION

To secure the most complete and valid data from online sleep diary systems, it is critical to consider the design of the data collection system and to develop replicable processes to manage data.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

Sleep Healthy Using The Internet for Older Adult Sufferers of Insomnia and Sleeplessness (SHUTiOASIS); https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03213132; ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03213132.

Twelve-month follow-up: Comparative efficacy of cognitive therapy, behavior therapy, and cognitive behavior therapy for patients with insomnia

OBJECTIVE

Treatments that alleviate insomnia over the long term are critical. We evaluated the relative long-term efficacy of cognitive therapy (CT), behavior therapy (BT), and cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for insomnia.

METHOD

Patients (N = 188, 62.2% female, 81.1% White, 6.5% Hispanic or Latinx, Mage = 47.4 years) with insomnia were randomized to eight sessions of CT, BT, or CBT for insomnia. Assessments at pretreatment and 12-month follow-up measured insomnia severity, insomnia response/remission, sleep diary parameters, and daytime functioning.

RESULTS

Patients in all three treatment groups improved on insomnia severity, sleep onset latency, wake after sleep onset, total sleep time, sleep efficiency, work and social adjustment, and mental health (ps < .05). Moreover, in each treatment group, a substantial proportion of patients achieved remission and response. CBT was associated with larger improvements in insomnia severity relative to CT as well as greater remission and improvements in physical health, relative to CT and BT (ps < .05). For patients with a psychiatric comorbidity, CBT was associated with greater improvements in work and social adjustment and mental health, relative to CT (ps < 0.05). CT was not associated with change in time in bed, and none of the treatment conditions were associated with change in daytime fatigue (ps > .05).

CONCLUSIONS

These encouraging results suggest that therapists may be able to offer CBT, BT, or CT to improve nighttime and daytime symptoms of insomnia over the long-term, with CBT offering a relative advantage for select outcomes and subgroups. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

The need to promote sleep health in public health agendas across the globe

Healthy sleep is essential for physical and mental health, and social wellbeing; however, across the globe, and particularly in developing countries, national public health agendas rarely consider sleep health. Sleep should be promoted as an essential pillar of health, equivalent to nutrition and physical activity. To improve sleep health across the globe, a focus on education and awareness, research, and targeted public health policies are needed. We recommend developing sleep health educational programmes and awareness campaigns; increasing, standardising, and centralising data on sleep quantity and quality in every country across the globe; and developing and implementing sleep health policies across sectors of society. Efforts are needed to ensure equity and inclusivity for all people, particularly those who are most socially and economically vulnerable, and historically excluded.

A preliminary validation of the pediatric adaptation of the Insomnia Severity Index

INTRODUCTION

The prevalence of insomnia in children aged 5 to 12 years old is 20% to 31%. Currently, there is no well-validated questionnaire assessing all the components of insomnia in school-aged children. The present study aims to introduce an adaptation of the Insomnia Severity Index for this purpose.

METHOD

Fifty-nine children aged 8- to 12-years-old with at least one anxiety disorder were recruited from youth mental health care settings. Their parents completed the pediatric adaptation of the Insomnia Severity Index which includes two scales used to report insomnia symptoms in children and their impact on the child (ISI-Child) and parents (ISI-Parent), My Child's Sleep Habits questionnaire, and the Child Behavior Checklist.

RESULTS

Both the ISI-Child and the ISI-Parent scales presented adequate factorial structure (RMSEA ≤ 0.05) and internal consistency (ISI-Child: α=0.87; ISI-Parent: α=0.88). Furthermore, the results of the two scales were strongly correlated (r=0.91, P<0.001). The convergent validity was assessed using the Waking During the Night scale of the My Child's Sleep Habits questionnaire and was adequate for the ISI-Child (r=0.52, P<0.001) and the ISI-Parent (r=0.53, P<0.001). Finally, the Rule-Breaking Behavior (r ≤ 0.26, P ≥ 0.05) and Aggressive Behavior (r ≤ 0.19, P ≥ 0.19) scales of the Child Behavior Checklist showed small correlations with both subscales, indicating good divergent validity.

CONCLUSION

The pediatric adaptation of the Insomnia Severity Index is a potentially reliable and valid measure for screening and assessing insomnia in children.

World sleep society international sleep medicine guidelines position statement endorsement of "behavioral and psychological treatments for chronic insomnia disorder in adults: An American Academy of sleep medicine clinical practice guidelines"

This paper summarizes the position statement of the World Sleep Society (WSS) International Guidelines Committee regarding the Clinical Practice Guidelines on the Behavioral and Psychological Treatments for Chronic Insomnia Disorder in Adults prepared by a task force of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). The practice guidelines were reviewed for their relevance and applicability to the practice of sleep medicine around the world. The WSS Work Group endorsed the AASM strong recommendation for Multicomponent Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as the treatment of choice for Insomnia Disorder and conditional endorsement for its single-therapy components (sleep restriction, stimulus control, relaxation); use of sleep hygiene education as single therapy was not endorsed due to lack of evidence for its efficacy. The strong recommendation for multicomponent CBT-I applied to patients with chronic insomnia disorder with or without comorbid psychiatric and medical conditions. Main caveats with regard to CBT-I remains the lack of adequately trained therapists and variability in terms of training available in different parts of the world. Unanswered questions about the applicability, availability, accessibility and potential sociodemographic (age, sex, ethnicity, regions) moderators of treatment outcomes were discussed. Despite growing evidence documenting the benefits of digital CBT-I, individual, in-person CBT-I delivered by a trained professional (mental health) provider is regarded as the optimal method to deliver CBT-I.

Effect of one-shot cognitive behavioral therapy on insomnia and heart rate variability of health care workers at the time of COVID-19 pandemic: a randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVES

The emergence of sleep disturbances in response to major stressful events has been previously documented. Heart rate variability (HRV) is an objective marker that provides insight into autonomic nervous system dynamics. The aim of the present study was to examine the preliminary effectiveness of a one-shot session of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) for frontline healthcare providers with acute insomnia.

METHODS

This study was conducted from 2020 to 2021 on healthcare workers with insomnia. The healthcare workers were randomly allocated to receive either one-shot cognitive behavioral therapy or routine care. Insomnia severity index (ISI) and heart rate variability were assessed before and 1 month after the interventions.

RESULTS

Among 57 patients (n = 31 in the intervention group and n = 26 in the control group), mean (± SD) age of both groups were 34.6 (± 9.5) and 36.6 (± 6.9), respectively. Most participants in both groups were female (81% and 65% in the intervention and control groups, respectively; p-value = 0.10). Insomnia severity index score decreased in the intervention group from 13.3 to 6.7 (p < 0.001). The change before and after the intervention was significant between the two groups for HF-normalized unit (high-frequency power band [0.15-0.40 Hz] in the normalized unit) and LF/HF (the ratio of low frequency to high frequency). HF-normalized unit increased in the intervention group (35.8 ± 21.5 vs. 45.6 ± 19.8 before and after the intervention, respectively), and decreased in the control group (43.9 ± 16.5 vs. 39.8 ± 18.5, before and after the intervention, respectively).

CONCLUSION

The findings suggest that a single-shot session of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia is effective in managing acute insomnia symptoms in healthcare workers.

Adherence to behavioral recommendations of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia predicts medication use after a structured medication taper

STUDY OBJECTIVES

Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI) has been paired with supervised medication tapering to help hypnotic-dependent individuals discontinue their hypnotics. This study examined the hypothesis that higher participant adherence to behavioral recommendations of CBTI will predict lower odds of using sleep medications 3 months after completion of a combined CBTI/sleep medication tapering protocol.

METHODS

Fifty-eight individuals who used sedative hypnotics completed four CBTI sessions followed by sleep medication tapering. Logistic regression was used to examine the association of stability of time in bed and stability of rise time (measured as the within-person standard deviation) at completion of CBTI with two outcomes at 3-month follow-up: use of sedative hypnotics and use of any medication/substance for sleep.

RESULTS

Participants with more stability in their rise time after CBTI than at baseline (ie, a decrease in their within-person standard deviation) had 69.5% lower odds of using sedative hypnotics at follow-up (odds ratio = 0.305, 95% confidence interval = 0.095-0.979, P = .046) than individuals who had no change or a decrease in the stability of their rise time. Results were similar for time in bed: participants with more stability in their time in bed after CBTI than at baseline had 83.2% lower odds of using sedative hypnotics (odds ratio = 0.168, 95% confidence interval = 0.049-0.580, P = .005). Increase in stability of rise time and stability of time in bed was also associated with reduced odds of using any medication/substance for sleep at follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Participants who implement behavioral recommendations of CBTI appear to have more success with discontinuing use of sleep medications.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

Registry: ClinicalTrials.gov; Name: The Role of Tapering Pace and Selected Traits on Hypnotic Discontinuation; URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02831894; Identifier: NCT02831894.

CITATION

Edinger JD, Wamboldt FS, Johnson RL, et al. Adherence to behavioral recommendations of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia predicts medication use after a structured medication taper. J Clin Sleep Med. 2023;19(8):1495-1503.

Association between hypersomnolence and the COVID-19 pandemic: The International COVID-19 Sleep Study (ICOSS)

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic and related restriction measures have affected our daily life, sleep, and circadian rhythms worldwide. Their effects on hypersomnolence and fatigue remain unclear.

METHODS

The International COVID-19 Sleep Study questionnaire which included items on hypersomnolence such as excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), and excessive quantity of sleep (EQS), as well as sociodemographic factors, sleep patterns, psychological symptoms, and quality of life was distributed in 15 countries across the world from May to September in 2020.

RESULTS

Altogether responses from 18,785 survey participants (65% women, median age 39 years) were available for analysis. Only 2.8% reported having had COVID-19. Compared to before the pandemic, the prevalence of EDS, EQS, and fatigue increased from 17.9% to 25.5%, 1.6%-4.9%, and 19.4%-28.3% amid the pandemic, respectively. In univariate logistic regression models, reports of having a COVID-19 were associated with EQS (OR 5.3; 95%-CI 3.6-8.0), EDS (2.6; 2.0-3.4), and fatigue (2.8; 2.1-3.6). In adjusted multivariate logistic regression, sleep duration shorter than desired (3.9; 3.2-4.7), depressive symptoms (3.1; 2.7-3.5), use of hypnotics (2.3; 1.9-2.8), and having reported COVID-19 (1.9; 1.3-2.6) remained strong predictors of EDS. Similar associations emerged for fatigue. In the multivariate model, depressive symptoms (4.1; 3.6-4.6) and reports of having COVID-19 (2.0; 1.4-2.8) remained associated with EQS.

CONCLUSIONS

A large increase in EDS, EQS, and fatigue occurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and especially in self-reported cases of COVID-19. These findings warrant a thorough understanding of their pathophysiology to target prevention and treatment strategies for long COVID condition.

Do Insomnia Treatments Improve Daytime Function?

A scientific advisory panel of seven U.S. and Canadian sleep experts performed a clinical appraisal by comparing general medical opinion, assessed via a survey of practicing clinicians, regarding insomnia treatment, with the available scientific evidence. This clinical appraisal focuses on the specific statement, "Treatments for insomnia have uniformly been shown to significantly improve the associated daytime impairment seen with insomnia." The advisory panel reviewed and discussed the available body of evidence within the published medical literature to determine what discrepancies may exist between the currently published evidence base and general medical opinion. The advisory panels' evaluation of this statement was also compared with the results of a national survey of primary care physicians, psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and sleep specialists in the United States. Contrary to general medical opinion, the expert advisory panel concluded that the medical literature did not support the statement. This gap highlights the need to educate the general medical community regarding insomnia treatment efficacy in pursuit of improved treatment outcomes.

Should Trazodone Be First-Line Therapy for Insomnia? A Clinical Suitability Appraisal

Trazodone is one of the most commonly used prescription medications for insomnia; however, some recent clinical guidelines do not recommend its use for treating insomnia. This clinical appraisal critically reviews the scientific literature on trazodone as a first-line treatment for insomnia, with the focus statement "Trazodone should never be used as a first-line medication for insomnia." In addition, field surveys were sent to practicing physicians, psychiatrists, and sleep specialists to assess general support for this statement. Subsequently, a meeting with a seven-member panel of key opinion leaders was held to discuss published evidence in support and against the statement. This paper reports on the evidence review, the panel discussion, and the panel's and healthcare professionals' ratings of the statement's acceptability. While the majority of field survey responders disagreed with the statement, the majority of panel members agreed with the statement based on the limited published evidence supporting trazodone as a first-line agent as they understood the term "first-line agent".

The Associations between Insomnia Severity and Health Outcomes in the United States

Little is known about the associations between insomnia severity, insomnia symptoms, and key health outcomes. Using 2020 United States National Health and Wellness Survey (NHWS) data, we conducted a retrospective, cross-sectional analysis to determine the associations between insomnia severity and a number of health outcomes germane to patients (health-related quality of life (HRQoL), employers and government (workplace productivity), and healthcare payers (healthcare resource utilization (HCRU)). The Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) questionnaire was used to evaluate overall insomnia severity. HRQoL was assessed using the physical and mental component summary scores of the Short Form-36v2 (SF-36v2) questionnaire, and health utility status was measured using the Short Form-6D (SF-6D) and EuroQoL-5D (EQ-5D) questionnaires. Workplace productivity was measured using the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) questionnaire. After adjusting for confounders, greater insomnia severity was significantly associated with worsened quality of life, decreased productivity, and increased HCRU in an apparent linear fashion. These findings have important implications for future research, including the need for specific assessment of insomnia symptoms and their impact on key health outcomes.

A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Versus Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Insomnia

OBJECTIVE

To compare the effectiveness of protocols for acceptance and commitment therapy for insomnia (ACT-I) and cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) in adults.

METHOD

Participants were 37 adults (74.3% women; M = 43.7 years, SD = 10.7) with chronic insomnia who were randomized to 6 weekly group sessions consisting of ACT-I (n = 19) or CBT-I (n = 18). The primary outcome measures were based on the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) total score, a measure of insomnia complaints, and included the proportions of treatment responders (defined as a change in score of 8 points or more) and remitters (defined as a final score below 8).

RESULTS

Both treatment modalities significantly reduced insomnia severity. Post-treatment, the proportion of treatment responders was higher in the CBT-I than the ACT-I (64.7% vs. 50.0%, respectively) group and six months later, ACT-I made further improvements whereas CBT-I had a reduced treatment response (58.8% vs. 55.6%, respectively). CBT-I was associated with a higher proportion of insomnia remission at post treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Both CBT-I and ACT-I are effective, with a higher proportion of insomnia remitters in CBT-I post-treatment. The different change trajectories for the two therapy groups provide insights into behavioral change via a cognitive versus contextual approach.

Beliefs about Healthy Sleep Habits in Adults with Diabetes Compared to Adults without Diabetes: A Reasoned Action Approach Elicitation Study

Objective  Sleep is part of a healthy lifestyle and in adults with diabetes, inadequate sleep is associated with risks of developing complications. The objective was to compare beliefs about healthy sleep habits (HSHs) in adults with versus without diabetes based on the Reasoned Action Approach. Methods  A total of 56 adults with and 98 without diabetes answered open-ended questions regarding their beliefs about: avoiding screen use in bed; having a regular sleep schedule; or avoiding caffeine, alcohol, and cigarettes before bedtime. A qualitative content analysis was used to identify the most important beliefs, similarities, and differences between both groups. Results  Both groups reported that adopting HSHs could improve sleep. Having a regular sleep schedule was perceived to facilitate diabetes management in adults with diabetes. Negative consequences specific to adopting each HSH were identified in both groups. Adopting HSHs was associated with mainly negative emotions (e.g., stress, anxiety, fear) in both groups. Avoiding screen use in bed was associated with anxiety of not knowing blood glucose levels at night in adults with diabetes. Partners, parents, and friends were considered the most important individuals who would approve of adopting HSHs, but they were often perceived as unlikely to adopt HSHs themselves in both groups. Adults with diabetes perceived more barriers to adopting HSHs. Facilitating factors for both groups included removing triggers of unhealthy sleep habits, behavior substitution, using reminders, time management, and social support. Discussion  These beliefs can guide the development of behavioral sleep interventions, including interventions specifically for adults with diabetes.

Efficacy of a Therapist-Assisted Self-Help Internet-Based Intervention Targeting PTSD, Depression, and Insomnia Symptoms After a Disaster: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This study aimed at evaluating the efficacy of an online CBT intervention with limited therapist contact targeting a range of posttraumatic symptoms among evacuees from the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfires. One hundred and thirty-six residents of Fort McMurray who reported either moderate PTSD symptoms (PCL-5 ≥ 23) or mild PTSD symptoms (PCL-5 ≥ 10) with moderate depression (PHQ-9 ≥ 10) or subthreshold insomnia symptoms (ISI ≥ 8) were randomized either to a treatment (n = 69) or a waitlist condition (n = 67). Participants were on average 45 years old, and mostly identified as White (82%) and as women (76%). Primary outcomes were PTSD, depression, and insomnia symptoms. Secondary outcomes were anxiety symptoms and disability. Significant Assessment Time × Treatment Condition interactions were observed on all outcomes, indicating that access to the treatment led to a decrease in posttraumatic stress (F[1,117.04] = 12.128, p = .001; d = .519, 95% CI = .142-.895), depression (F[1,118.29] = 9.978, p = .002; d = .519, 95% CI = .141-.898) insomnia (F[1,117.60] = 4.574, p = .035; d = .512, 95% CI = .132-.892), and anxiety (F[1,119.64] = 5.465, p = .021; d = .421, 95% CI = .044-.797) symptom severity and disability (F[1,111.55] = 7.015, p = .009; d = .582, 95% CI = .200-.963). Larger effect sizes (d = 0.823-1.075) were observed in participants who completed at least half of the treatment. The RESILIENT online treatment platform was successful to provide access to specialized evidence-based mental health care after a disaster.

A systematic review with meta-analyses of the relationship between recurrent binge eating and sleep parameters

BACKGROUND

Sleep problems are known to compound the negative effects of other health issues, such as eating disorders and the associated behavior of binge eating. Previous studies suggested associations between binge eating and sleep problems, but the strength of the relationship is unknown.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review with meta-analyses examining the relationship between binge eating and sleep parameters. We searched for studies in Scopus, PubMed, and PsycInfo. The quality of evidence, including risk of bias, was assessed with adaptations of the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Quasi-Experimental Studies, depending on study design. Data was synthesized as the difference in sleep between people who did or did not have binge eating.

RESULTS

Thirty-one reports of studies met our eligibility criteria. Results are presented in 12 meta-analyses. In the 7 reports of studies (with 4448 participants) that assessed poor overall sleep quality, we found poorer overall sleep quality in people with binge eating compared to people without binge eating, with a standardized mean difference of 0.77 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.61-0.92; P < 0.001), which is a large effect size. In addition, we found evidence that people with binge eating had significantly greater hypersomnia/daytime sleepiness (7 reports of studies with 4370 participants), insomnia (5 reports of studies with 12,733 participants), and difficulty falling asleep (3 reports of studies with 4089 participants) compared to people without binge eating, with moderate effect sizes (standardized mean differences of 0.57-0.66).

CONCLUSIONS

People with binge eating exhibit poorer overall sleep quality compared to people without binge eating, and may also exhibit greater hypersomnia/daytime sleepiness, insomnia, and difficulty falling asleep. It is recommended that healthcare professionals routinely screen for poor overall sleep quality when treating people with binge eating-and address sleep difficulties when present.

The dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes about sleep scale: Dimensions of the European Portuguese DBAS-30 and development of a new short version (DBAS–SF–16)

OBJECTIVES

The Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep Scale (DBAS) is the most widely validated instrument for assessing sleep-related cognitions. This study aimed to examine the reliability of the DBAS-30 European Portuguese version, explore its dimensionality, and develop a new short version suitable for differentiating the presence/absence of insomnia.

METHODS

From 824 participants aged 18-85 years, the Insomnia Group (IG, n = 355, 261 females and 94 males) and Normal Sleepers Group (NSG, n = 292, 237 females, 54 males and 1 with no response) were constituted. Thirty-one patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome were also recruited. For the DBAS 16-items version, the ability to differentiate dysfunctional beliefs between people with and without insomnia was used as the main criterion for item retention.

RESULTS

DBAS-30 PT demonstrated good internal consistency and significantly discriminated IG from NSG. Based on a robust EFA (RDWLS), a three-dimensional structure was determined for IG (Ageing and Hopelessness, Sleep Expectations, and Consequences and Helplessness). DBAS-SF-16 presented as an internally-consistent measure with a reliable two-factor structure (Consequences and Helplessness, Medication and Hopelessness) and showed construct and known groups validity. ROC analysis demonstrated DBAS-SF-16's relevant clinical accuracy, and 4.3 provides the best cut-off score in detecting the level of dysfunctional beliefs associated with clinical insomnia.

CONCLUSIONS

A new and meaningful dimensionality of the DBAS-30 was found. DBAS-SF-16 showed to be a reliable, valid, and robust tool for evaluating dysfunctional beliefs about insomnia in clinical and non-clinical populations.

Long-Term Use of Insomnia Medications: An Appraisal of the Current Clinical and Scientific Evidence

While evidence supports the benefits of medications for the treatment of chronic insomnia, there is ongoing debate regarding their appropriate duration of use. A panel of sleep experts conducted a clinical appraisal regarding the use of insomnia medications, as it relates to the evidence supporting the focus statement, "No insomnia medication should be used on a daily basis for durations longer than 3 weeks at a time". The panelists' assessment was also compared to findings from a national survey of practicing physicians, psychiatrists, and sleep specialists. Survey respondents revealed a wide range of opinions regarding the appropriateness of using the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications for the treatment of insomnia lasting more than 3 weeks. After discussion of the literature, the panel unanimously agreed that some classes of insomnia medications, such as non-benzodiazepines hypnotics, have been shown to be effective and safe for long-term use in the appropriate clinical setting. For eszopiclone, doxepin, ramelteon and the newer class of dual orexin receptor antagonists, the FDA label does not specify that their use should be of a limited duration. Thus, an evaluation of evidence supporting the long-term safety and efficacy of newer non-benzodiazepine hypnotics is timely and should be considered in practice recommendations for the duration of pharmacologic treatment of chronic insomnia.

Sleep symptoms are essential features of long-COVID - Comparing healthy controls with COVID-19 cases of different severity in the international COVID sleep study (ICOSS-II)

Many people report suffering from post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 or "long-COVID", but there are still open questions on what actually constitutes long-COVID and how prevalent it is. The current definition of post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 is based on voting using the Delphi-method by the WHO post-COVID-19 working group. It emphasizes long-lasting fatigue, shortness of breath and cognitive dysfunction as the core symptoms of post-acute sequelae of COVID-19. In this international survey study consisting of 13,628 subjects aged 18-99 years from 16 countries of Asia, Europe, North America and South America (May-Dec 2021), we show that post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 symptoms were more prevalent amongst the more severe COVID-19 cases, i.e. those requiring hospitalisation for COVID-19. We also found that long-lasting sleep symptoms are at the core of post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 and associate with the COVID-19 severity when COVID-19 cases are compared with COVID-negative cases. Specifically, fatigue (61.3%), insomnia symptoms (49.6%) and excessive daytime sleepiness (35.8%) were highly prevalent amongst respondents reporting long-lasting symptoms after hospitalisation for COVID-19. Understanding the importance of sleep-related symptoms in post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 has a clinical relevance when diagnosing and treating long-COVID.

Integrating technology to increase the reach of CBT-I: state of the science and challenges ahead

In this Round Table Discussion, an international panel of experts discuss issues related to the use of technology in the delivery of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), in order to increase its reach. Panelists were, in alphabetical order, Carmela Alcántara, PhD, an Associate Professor at Columbia University School of Social Work in New York, USA, Bei Bei, PhD., an Associate Professor at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, Charles M. Morin, PhD., a Professor of Psychology at Laval University in Quebec City, Canada, and Annemieke A. van Straten, PhD., a Professor of Clinical Psychology at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The session was chaired by Rachel Manber, PhD., a Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University, in Palo Alto, California, USA. In their introductions each panelist discussed the use of technology in their respective country. All indicated that the most common way technology is used in the treatment of insomnia is through the use of video calls (telemedicine) to deliver individual CBT-I, and that this is mostly covered by publicly funded health insurance programs such as Medicare, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. There are also some fully automated insomnia treatment programs, but they're often not covered by Medicare or other health insurance programs.

Shift workers are at increased risk of severe COVID-19 compared with day workers: Results from the international COVID sleep study (ICOSS) of 7141 workers

The present study had two main aims. First, to investigate whether shift/night workers had a higher prevalence and severity of COVID-19 compared with day workers. Second, to investigate whether people regularly working in face-to-face settings during the pandemic exhibited a higher prevalence and severity of COVID-19 compared with those having no need to be in close contact with others at work. Data consisted of 7141 workers from 15 countries and four continents who participated in the International COVID Sleep Study-II (ICOSS-II) between May and December 2021. The associations between work status and a positive COVID-19 test and several indications of disease severity were tested with chi-square tests and logistic regressions adjusted for relevant confounders. In addition, statistical analyses were conducted for the associations between face-to-face work and COVID-19 status. Results showed that shift/night work was not associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 compared to day work. Still, shift/night workers reported higher odds for moderate to life-threatening COVID-19 (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 2.71, 95%-confidence interval = 1.23-5.95) and need for hospital care (aOR = 5.66, 1.89-16.95). Face-to-face work was associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 (aOR = 1.55, 1.12-2.14) but not with higher disease severity. In conclusion, shift/night work was not associated with an increased risk of COVID-19, but when infected, shift/night workers reported more severe disease. Impaired sleep and circadian disruption commonly seen among shift/night workers may be mediating factors. Working face-to-face increased the risk of COVID-19, likely due to increased exposure to the virus. However, face-to-face work was not associated with increased disease severity.

The role of sleep and dreams in long‐ COVID

Recent investigations show that many people affected by SARS-CoV2 (COVID-19) report persistent symptoms 2-3 months from the onset of the infection. Here, we report the Italian findings from the second International COVID-19 Sleep Study survey, aiming to investigate sleep and dream alterations in participants with post-acute symptoms, and identify the best determinants of these alterations among patients with long-COVID. Data from 383 participants who have had COVID-19 were collected through a web-survey (May-November 2021). Descriptive analyses were performed to outline the sociodemographic characteristics of long-COVID (N = 270, with at least two long-lasting symptoms) and short-COVID (N = 113, with none or one long-lasting symptom) participants. They were then compared concerning sleep and dream measures. We performed multiple linear regressions considering as dependent variables sleep and dream parameters discriminating the long-COVID group. Age, gender, work status, financial burden, COVID-19 severity and the level of care were significantly different between long-COVID and short-COVID subjects. The long-COVID group showed greater sleep alterations (sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, sleep inertia, naps, insomnia, sleep apnea, nightmares) compared with the short-COVID group. We also found that the number of long-COVID symptoms, psychological factors and age were the best explanatory variables of sleep and oneiric alterations. Our findings highlight that sleep alterations are part of the clinical presentation of the long-COVID syndrome. Moreover, psychological status and the number of post-acute symptoms should be considered as state-like variables modulating the sleep problems in long-COVID individuals. Finally, according to previous investigations, oneiric alterations are confirmed as a reliable mental health index.

Gender Differences in Usage and Subjective Appreciation of an Online Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Wildfire Evacuees: Descriptive Study

BACKGROUND

Based on the most common psychological difficulties of the evacuees from the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfires in Alberta, Canada, a therapist-guided cognitive behavioral self-treatment was developed. This study aimed to explore how gender influences the usage and subjective appreciation of the RESILIENT online treatment.

METHODS

Our study included 81 English-speaking evacuees with significant posttraumatic symptoms, or with some posttraumatic symptoms accompanied by at least mild depression symptoms or subclinical insomnia, and who logged into the platform at least once. Various usage and subjective appreciation variables were analyzed, including number of completed sessions, number of logins, number of words per session, perceived efforts, perception of usefulness and intention to continue using the different strategies.

RESULTS

No difference was detected in most objective usage indicators. The number of words written in sessions 7 and 10 was significantly greater for women than for men. Regarding subjective appreciation, men had a greater perception of having put strong efforts in the cognitive restructuring strategy, while women reported in a greater proportion that they wanted to continue using physical exercise as a behavioral activation strategy.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study offers a first look into how women and men use online treatments, and what their preferences are.

Economic burden of insomnia symptoms in Canada

OBJECTIVE

To estimate health care and productivity costs associated with insomnia symptoms in Canadian adults.

METHODS

Three pieces of information were needed to calculate estimates based on a prevalence-based approach: (1) the pooled relative risk estimates of health outcomes consistently associated with insomnia symptoms obtained from recent meta-analyses of prospective cohort studies; (2) the direct (health care) and indirect (lost productivity due to premature mortality) costs of these health outcomes using the Economic Burden of Illness in Canada information; and (3) the prevalence of insomnia symptoms in Canadian men (18.1%) and women (29.5%) obtained from a nationally-representative survey.

RESULTS

The direct, indirect, and total costs of insomnia symptoms in Canada in 2021 were $1.9 billion, $12.6 million, and $1.9 billion, respectively. This value represents 1.9% of the overall burden of illness costs for 2021 in Canada. The 2 most expensive chronic diseases attributable to insomnia symptoms were type 2 diabetes ($754 million) and depression ($706 million). The main contributor to the costs for type 2 diabetes and depression was prescription drugs. A 5% decrease in insomnia symptoms (from 23.8% to 18.8%) would result in an estimated $353 million in avoided costs while a 5% increase in insomnia symptoms (from 23.8% to 28.8%) would result in an estimated $333 million in additional expenditures yearly.

CONCLUSIONS

Insomnia symptoms greatly contribute to the economic burden of illness in Canada. Reducing the prevalence of insomnia symptoms would reduce its societal burden.

National strategy on the integration of sleep and circadian rhythms into public health research and policies: Report from the Canadian Sleep and Circadian Network

Scientists in sleep and circadian rhythms, public health experts, healthcare providers, partners, and stakeholders convened in 2020 for a 2-day meeting organized by the Canadian Sleep and Circadian Network to develop a national strategy for the integration of sleep and circadian rhythms into public health and policies in Canada. The objective of this paper is to present the national strategy that emerged from this meeting of 60 participants from across Canada. The meeting focused on 4 key target priorities: (1) atypical working schedules, (2) sleep and circadian rhythms of children and adolescents, (3) insomnia, and (4) impact of sleep apnea on health. Following constructive discussions over 2 days, it was decided that the following 4 strategic objectives should be prioritized to accelerate the integration of sleep and circadian rhythms into public health policies in Canada: (1) Increase public health sleep and circadian rhythm research, (2) Increase public health education and knowledge mobilization on sleep, (3) Inform and support public health sleep interventions and policies, and (4) Promote sleep health training. The participants recommended that research and public health efforts should address the needs along the continuum of sleep health. The committee noted that strategies and interventions could differ across contexts, settings, sectors, and jurisdictions. The national strategy also identified high-priority research questions in public health and recommended mechanisms to build research capacity, providing a path forward for the integration of sleep and circadian rhythms into public health research and policies.

Comparative effectiveness of three versions of a stepped care model for insomnia differing in the amount of therapist support in internet-delivered treatment: study protocol for a pragmatic cluster randomised controlled trial (GET Sleep)

INTRODUCTION

It is unclear how internet-delivered cognitive-behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) can be integrated into healthcare systems, and little is known about the optimal level of therapist guidance. The aim of this study is to investigate three different versions of a stepped care model for insomnia (IG1, IG2, IG3) versus treatment as usual (TAU). IG1, IG2 and IG3 rely on treatment by general practitioners (GPs) in the entry level and differ in the amount of guidance by e-coaches in internet-delivered CBT-I.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

In this randomised controlled trial, 4268 patients meeting International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) criteria for insomnia will be recruited. The study will use cluster randomisation of GPs with an allocation ratio of 3:3:3:1 (IG1, IG2, IG3, TAU). In step 1 of the stepped care model, GPs will deliver psychoeducational treatment; in step 2, an internet-delivered CBT-I programme will be used; in step 3, GPs will refer patients to specialised treatment. Outcomes will be collected at baseline, and 4 weeks, 12 weeks and 6 months after baseline assessment. The primary outcome is insomnia severity at 6 months. An economic evaluation will be conducted and qualitative interviews will be used to explore barriers and facilitators of the stepped care model.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Medical Centre-University of Freiburg. The results of the study will be published irrespective of the outcome.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

DRKS00021503.

Trainee Therapists’ Perceptions of a Blended Intervention to Promote Resilience after a Natural Disaster: A Qualitative Case Study

Background: Natural disasters happen in an increased frequency, and telemental health interventions could offer easily accessible help to reduce mental health symptoms experienced by survivors. However, there are very few programs offered to natural disaster survivors, and no research exists on therapists’ experiences with providing blended interventions for natural disaster survivors. Aims: Our qualitative case study aims to describe psychologists’ experiences with an online, therapist-assisted blended intervention for survivors of the Fort McMurray wildfires in Alberta, Canada. Method: The RESILIENT intervention was developed in the frames of a randomized controlled trial to promote resilience after the Fort McMurray wildfires by providing survivors free access to a 12-module, therapist-assisted intervention, aiming to improve post-traumatic stress, insomnia, and depression symptoms. A focus group design was used to collect data from the therapists, and emerging common themes were identified by thematic analysis. Results: Therapists felt they could build strong alliances and communicate emotions and empathy effectively, although the lack of nonverbal cues posed some challenges. The intervention, according to participating therapists, was less suitable for participants in high-stress situations and in case of discrepancy between client expectations and the intervention content. Moreover, the therapists perceived specific interventions as easy-to-use or as more challenging based on their complexity and on the therapist support needed for executing them. Client engagement in the program emerged as an underlying theme that had fundamental impact on alliance, communication, and ultimately, treatment efficiency. Therapist training and supervision was perceived as crucial for the success of the program delivery. Conclusions: Our findings provided several implications for the optimalization of blended interventions for natural disaster survivors from our therapists’ perspective.

A Systematic Review of Sleep–Wake Disorder Diagnostic Criteria Reliability Studies

The aim of this article is to provide a systematic review of reliability studies of the sleep–wake disorder diagnostic criteria of the international classifications used in sleep medicine. Electronic databases (ubMed (1946–2021) and Web of Science (—2021)) were searched up to December 2021 for studies computing the Cohen’s kappa coefficient of diagnostic criteria for the main sleep–wake disorder categories described in the principal classifications. Cohen’s kappa coefficients were extracted for each main sleep–wake disorder category, for each classification subtype, and for the different types of methods used to test the degree of agreement about a diagnosis. The database search identified 383 studies. Fifteen studies were analyzed in this systematic review. Insomnia disorder (10/15) and parasomnia disorder (7/15) diagnostic criteria were the most studied. The reliability of all sleep–wake disorders presented a Cohen’s kappa with substantial agreement (Cohen’s kappa mean = 0.66). The two main reliability methods identified were “test–retest reliability” (11/15), principally used for International Classification of Sleep Disorders (ICSD), and “joint interrater reliability” (4/15), principally used for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) subtype diagnostic criteria, in particularl, the DSM-5. The implications in terms of the design of the methods used to test the degree of agreement about a diagnosis in sleep medicine are discussed.

Sleep Disturbances During the Menopausal Transition: The Role of Sleep Reactivity and Arousal Predisposition

BACKGROUND

Sleep disturbances are common during the menopausal transition and several factors can contribute to this increased incidence. This study examined the association between sleep reactivity, arousal predisposition, sleep disturbances, and menopause.

METHODS

Data for this study were derived from a longitudinal, population-based study on the natural history of insomnia. A total of 873 women (40-60 years) were divided into two groups according to their menopausal status at baseline: reproductive (n = 408) and postmenopausal (n = 465). Participants were evaluated annually throughout the five-year follow-up period. Four questionnaires were used to examine sleep quality, insomnia severity, sleep reactivity, and arousal predisposition. The data were analyzed using two approaches: cross-sectional with a multivariate analysis and binary regression, and longitudinal with a linear mixed models using menopausal groups (3) x time (5) design.

RESULTS

Cross-sectional analyses showed that postmenopausal women reported significantly more severe insomnia and poorer sleep quality than reproductive women. Sleep reactivity and arousal predisposition were significant predictors of sleep disturbances. Longitudinal analyses revealed increased sleep disturbances in the two years before and after the menopausal transition. Sleep reactivity and arousal predisposition did not moderate the temporal relationship between menopausal transition and sleep disturbances.

CONCLUSION

More sleep disturbances were reported during the menopausal transition, but those difficulties were not explained by sleep reactivity and arousal predisposition. These results suggest the involvement of other psychophysiological factors in the development of sleep disturbances during the menopause.

Barriers and facilitators to implementing a stepped care cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia in cancer patients: a qualitative study

PURPOSE

Insomnia affects 30-60% of cancer patients and tends to become chronic when left untreated. While cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is the recommended first-line treatment, this intervention is not readily accessible. This qualitative study investigated current practices in the assessment and management of insomnia in five hospitals offering cancer care and identified the barriers and facilitators to the implementation of a stepped care CBT-I (i.e., web-based CBT-I followed, if needed, by 1-3 booster sessions) in these settings.

METHODS

Nine focus groups composed of a total of 43 clinicians (e.g., physicians, nurses, radiation therapists, psychologists), six administrators, and 10 cancer patients were held. The Consolidated Framework for Implementing Research (CFIR) was used to develop the semi-structured interview and analyze the data.

RESULTS

Sleep difficulties are not systematically discussed in clinical practice and when a treatment is offered, most often, it is a pharmacological one. Barriers and facilitators to the implementation of a stepped care CBT-I included individual characteristics (e.g., lack of knowledge about CBT-I); intervention characteristics (e.g., increased accessibility offered by a web-based format); inner setting characteristics (e.g., resistance to change); and process factors (e.g., motivation to offer a new service).

CONCLUSIONS

This qualitative study confirms the need to better address insomnia in routine cancer care and suggests that, while some barriers were mentioned, the implementation of a stepped care CBT-I is feasible. Keys to a successful implementation include accessibility, training, inclusion of stakeholders in the process, and ensuring that they are supported throughout the implementation.

Dream-enactment behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic: an international COVID-19 sleep study

There has been increasing concern about the long-term impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as evidenced by anecdotal case reports of acute-onset parkinsonism and the polysomnographic feature of increased rapid eye movement sleep electromyographic activity. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and correlates of dream-enactment behaviours, a hallmark of rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder, which is a prodrome of α-synucleinopathy. This online survey was conducted between May and August 2020 in 15 countries/regions targeting adult participants (aged ≥18 years) from the general population with a harmonised structured questionnaire on sleep patterns and disorders, COVID-19 diagnosis and symptoms. We assessed dream-enactment behaviours using the Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behaviour Disorder Single-Question Screen with an additional question on their frequency. Among 26,539 respondents, 21,870 (82.2%) answered all items that were analysed in this study (mean [SD] age 41.6 [15.8] years; female sex 65.5%). The weighted prevalence of lifetime and weekly dream-enactment behaviours was 19.4% and 3.1% and were found to be 1.8- and 2.9-times higher in COVID-19-positive cases, respectively. Both lifetime and weekly dream-enactment behaviours were associated with young age, male sex, smoking, alcohol consumption, higher physical activity level, nightmares, COVID-19 diagnosis, olfactory impairment, obstructive sleep apnea symptoms, mood, and post-traumatic stress disorder features. Among COVID-19-positive cases, weekly dream-enactment behaviours were positively associated with the severity of COVID-19. Dream-enactment behaviours are common among the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic and further increase among patients with COVID-19. Further studies are needed to investigate the potential neurodegenerative effect of COVID-19.

Does total sleep time substantially increase after CBT-I?

STUDY OBJECTIVES

In most standardized approaches to cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), it is commonly the case that total wake time reduces substantially during sleep restriction, but self-reported total sleep time (TST) is minimally affected. By follow-up, however, TST increases by almost 1 hour on average. A secondary analysis was undertaken to assess what percent of participants meet or appreciably exceed baseline TST after CBT-I.

METHODS

Data were drawn from a randomized controlled trial assessing acute and maintenance therapies for chronic insomnia (N=80). The present analyses assessed the percentage of participants that 1) reached (≥ 1 minute increase) and 2) appreciably exceeded (≥ 30 minute increase) baseline TST as assessed via daily Sleep Diaries at post treatment and 3, 6, 12, and 24 months following treatment.

RESULTS

45% of participants reached or exceeded baseline TST by the end of acute treatment. By 24 months follow up, this percentage increased to 86%. Only 17% of participants achieved a 30-minute increase in TST by the end of acute treatment, and this proportion only increased to 58% over time.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that CBT-I in its current form does not appreciably increase self-report TST in a significant proportion of insomnia patients. Whether participants would benefit from further increases in TST warrants investigation. The further titration of sleep opportunity may be useful to accelerate increases in TST, to extend the effect to a larger subset of patients, and/or to increase the magnitude of the TST increase.

Nightmares in People with COVID-19: Did Coronavirus Infect Our Dreams?

INTRODUCTION

A growing number of studies have demonstrated that the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has severely affected sleep and dream activity in healthy people. To date, no investigation has examined dream activity specifically in COVID-19 patients.

METHODS

As part of the International COVID-19 Sleep Study (ICOSS), we compared 544 COVID-19 participants with 544 matched-controls. A within-subjects comparison between pre-pandemic and pandemic periods computed separately for controls and COVID-19 participants were performed on dream recall and nightmare frequency (DRF; NF). Also, non-parametric comparisons between controls and COVID-19 participants were carried out. Further, we compared psychological measures between the groups collected during pandemic. Ordinal logistic regression to detect the best predictors of NF was performed.

RESULTS

We found that people reported greater dream activity during the pandemic. Comparisons between controls and COVID-19 participants revealed a) no difference between groups concerning DRF in the pre-pandemic period and during the pandemic; b) no difference between groups concerning nightmare frequency in the pre-pandemic period; and c) COVID-19 participants reported significantly higher NF than controls during pandemic (p = 0.003). Additionally, we showed that a) anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress-disorder (PTSD) symptom scores were higher in COVID-19 participants than controls; and b) quality of life and health as well as wellbeing (WHO-5) scores were significantly higher in controls than COVID-19 participants. Finally, ordinal logistic regression indicates that DRF (p < 0.001), PTSD (p < 0.001), anxiety (p = 0.018), insomnia (p = 0.039), COVID-19 severity (p = 0.014), sleep duration (p = 0.003) and age (p = 0.001) predicted NF.

DISCUSSION

Our work shows strong associations between increased nightmares in those reporting having had COVID-19. This suggests that the more that people were affected by COVID-19, the greater the impact upon dream activity and quality of life.

Association between insomnia patients' pre-treatment characteristics and their responses to distinctive treatment sequences

STUDY OBJECTIVES

It is common to provide insomnia patients a second treatment when the initial treatment fails, but little is known about optimal treatment sequences for different patient types. This study examined whether pre-treatment characteristics/traits predict optimal treatment sequences for insomnia patients.

METHODS

A community sample of 211 adults (132 women; Mage = 45.6 ± 14.9 years) with insomnia were recruited. Patients were first treated with behavioral therapy (BT) or zolpidem (Zol). Non-remitting BT recipients were randomized to a second treatment with either Zol or cognitive therapy; non-remitting Zol recipients underwent BT or Trazodone as a second treatment. Remission rates were assessed at the end of the first and second 6-week treatments. We then compared the remission rates of dichotomous groups formed on the basis of gender, age, pretreatment scores on SF36 and Multidimensional Fatigue Scale, the presence/absence of psychiatric/medical comorbidities or pain disorders, and mean subjective sleep duration and efficiency within and across treatment sequences.

RESULTS

Lower remission rates were noted for those: with a pain disorder, poor mental health perceptions, high MFI fatigue scores, and lower sleep times and efficiencies. Patients with a pain disorder responded best to the BT-to-Zol sequence, whereas patients with more mental impairment, severe fatigue, short sleep, and low sleep efficiency responded poorly to treatment starting with BT.

CONCLUSIONS

Pain, fatigue, poor mental health status, and subjective sleep duration and efficiency all affect response to different insomnia treatment sequences. Findings may guide clinicians in matching insomnia treatments to their patients.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01651442, Protocol version 4, April 20, 2011, registered June 26, 2012, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01651442?rslt=With&type=Intr&cond=Insomnia&cntry=US&state=US%3ACO&city=Denver&age=12&draw=2&rank=1.

Has the COVID-19 Pandemic Traumatized Us Collectively? The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health and Sleep Factors via Traumatization: A Multinational Survey

PURPOSE

The COVID-19 pandemic affects mental health and sleep, resulting in frequent nightmares. Therefore, identifying factors associated with nightmare frequency is important, as it can indicate mental health issues. The study aimed to investigate increases in nightmare frequency comparing the pre-pandemic and pandemic period, and identify its risk factors. Further, the mediating role of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms between the pandemic and nightmares is explored.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

For this cross-sectional survey data were obtained via self-rating online survey (ICOSS: details in Partinen et al, 2021), which was open to anyone older than 18 years. The final volunteer sample consisted of 15,292 participants, divided according to their nightmare frequency (high: ≥1-2 nights/week; low: <1-2 nights/week). A total of 9100 participants were excluded if answers on variables of interest were missing or receiving rewards for participation. Chi-square tests identified changes of nightmare frequency. Predictors of high nightmare frequency were assessed using logistic regression and presented as Odds Ratios. Post-hoc mediation models were used to investigate the role of post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS).

RESULTS

The mean age was 41.63 (SD=16.55) with 64.05% females. High nightmare frequency increased significantly from 13.24% to 22.35% during the pandemic. Factors associated with it included self-reported PTSS (OR=2.11), other mental disorders and various sleep disorders or problems. Financial burden due to the pandemic, confinement, having had COVID-19, and work situation during the pandemic were associated with nightmare frequency, those relations were partly mediated through PTSS.

CONCLUSION

Our results display the pandemic influence on nightmare frequency, which in turn connects to multiple mental health and sleep factors. These relations were partly mediated through PTSS. The COVID-19 pandemic appears to have caused traumatization of a substantial proportion of society. Health care workers should consider nightmares in their screening routines, as it might indicate PTSS and/or other mental and sleep disorders.

Cost-effectiveness of telephone cognitive behavioral therapy for osteoarthritis-related insomnia

BACKGROUND

Osteoarthritis-related insomnia is the most common form of comorbid insomnia among older Americans. A randomized clinical trial found that six sessions of telephone-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) improved sleep outcomes in this population. Using these data, we evaluated the incremental cost-effectiveness of CBT-I from a healthcare sector perspective.

METHODS

The study was based on 325 community-dwelling older adults with insomnia and osteoarthritis pain enrolled with Kaiser Permanente of Washington State. We measured quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) using the EuroQol 5-dimension scale. Arthritis-specific quality of life was measured using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Insomnia-specific quality of life was measured using the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and nights without clinical insomnia (i.e., "insomnia-free nights"). Total healthcare costs included intervention and healthcare utilization costs.

RESULTS

Over the 12 months after randomization, CBT-I improved ISI and WOMAC by -2.6 points (95% CI: -2.9 to -2.4) and -2.6 points (95% CI: -3.4 to -1.8), respectively. The ISI improvement translated into 89 additional insomnia-free nights (95% CI: 79 to 98) over the 12 months. CBT-I did not significantly reduce total healthcare costs (-$1072 [95% CI: -$1968 to $92]). Improvements in condition-specific measures were not reflected in QALYs gained (-0.01 [95% CI: -0.01 to 0.01]); at a willingness-to-pay of $150,000 per QALY, CBT-I resulted in a positive net monetary benefit of $369 with substantial uncertainty (95% CI: -$1737 to $2270).

CONCLUSION

CBT-I improved sleep and arthritis function without increasing costs. These findings support the consideration of telephone CBT-I for treating insomnia among older adults with comorbid OA. Our findings also suggest potential limitations of the general quality of life measures in assessing interventions designed to improve sleep and arthritis outcomes.