A Digital Sleep Restriction System for Insomnia Therapy Based on Sleep Window Shift Negotiation

Abstract

Insomnia is a prevalent sleep disorder, characterized by problems with sleep initiation, and/or sleep maintenance. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is the current standard intervention. The labor-intensive nature of CBT-I hampers its scalability. Digital CBT-I could be an alternative solution, but the therapeutic feedback is too general and over-simplified at present, especially concerning sleep-restriction, a key component of CBT-I and also a standalone intervention. Here, a novel sleep restriction tool is described with an algorithm based on the negotiation of sleep window shift. The algorithm calculates the best-fitting sleep window from self-recorded sleep logs. The results of our study provided information about the tools' alignment with clinical practice. The future step is to improve the tool based on therapists recommendation, develop a functional prototype and carry out validation studies. Strategies used for this tool could create a new perspective in negotiation with digital therapy systems.