Recent research done by Dr. Alexander Sweetman of Flinders University has discovered a breakthrough in the way insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea are generally treated. The paper includes “Bedtime Window,” an interactive behavioural therapy programme to promote sleep and mental health.
Dr. Sweetman discusses the shortage of CBTi-trained psychologists in Australia, which contributes to the overprescription of sleeping pills. Bedtime Window fills this gap with a non-medicinal method that improves sleep and daytime functioning.
Dr. Sweetman also discusses COMISA, the overlap of OSA and insomnia symptoms, emphasising the need for effective therapy. Dr. Sweetman and his team developed a digital cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia programme that benefits people with comorbid insomnia disorder and mental health issues and has sustained effects on insomnia symptoms and related mental health conditions.
This multi-stage programme includes sleep instruction, stimulus control, relaxation techniques, and cognitive restructuring and is customised to each patient. It also contains symptoms assessment and personalised sleepy recommendations to improve sleeplessness without daytime sleepiness. Digital therapy may be a drug-free treatment for co-occurring sleep apnea, but more research is needed to confirm its efficacy and safety. If effective, this strategy might be part of a healthcare puzzle that provides straightforward and effective sleep-related solutions.
