A Pilot Randomized-Controlled Trial of Sleep Scholar: A Brief, Internet-Based Insomnia Intervention for College Students

Abstract

This randomized-controlled trial examined the efficacy of Sleep Scholar, a brief, internet-based insomnia intervention tailored to the needs of college students. College students commonly experience insomnia and various other mental health symptoms, including suicide ideation. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is a promising suicide prevention effort for college students because insomnia is robust risk factor for suicide ideation and CBT-I reduces suicide ideation. Moreover, CBT-I can be brief, self-guided, and internet-based. CBT-I also may elicit less stigma than treatment specifically targeting suicide ideation. However, existing forms of brief CBT-I are neither self-guided nor internet-based, and existing forms of self-guided, internet-based CBT-I are not brief. In addition, previous iterations of CBT-I are not typically designed to address the unique sleep needs of college students. For this registered clinical trial, we recruited 61 college students with at least subclinical insomnia symptoms. Participants were randomized to either Sleep Scholar or a control condition, Building Healthy Habits. Participants completed pre-treatment daily sleep diaries and surveys, a post-treatment assessment of acceptability and satisfaction, a one-week and one-month survey follow-up, and daily sleep diaries throughout the one-month follow-up period. Results showed that Sleep Scholar was more acceptable and satisfactory compared to the control condition at post-treatment. However, Sleep Scholar was not more effective for improving sleep or mental health symptoms compared to the control condition. These findings suggest that modifications to Sleep Scholar are needed to improve its efficacy.