Assessment of Usability and Preliminary Effectiveness of a Digital Sleep Aid in an Italian Sample

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Digital Health Technology for Chronic Insomnia: A mobile application designed to support chronic insomnia management through digital self-monitoring of sleep patterns, personalized sleep hygiene education, cognitive strategies, relaxation and mindfulness exercises, and chatbot interactions. Users receive tailored notifications and educational content to encourage healthy sleep behaviors over an 8-week period. Existing pharmacological treatments prescribed prior to study enrollment continue unchanged

Treatment as Usual (TAU): Participants receive standard sleep hygiene recommendations via a printed educational booklet. They maintain printed sleep diaries for daily self-monitoring throughout the 8-week intervention. Existing pharmacological treatments prescribed prior to study enrollment continue unchanged.

Study summary

Chronic insomnia affects approximately 30% of the Italian population, leading to significant impairments in daily functioning and overall health. While Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is the recommended first-line treatment, access is limited due to a shortage of trained specialists and resources within the Italian healthcare system. This study aims to evaluate the usability, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of a mobile application designed to assist individuals with chronic insomnia. The app offers digital sleep diaries, personalized sleep hygiene education, relaxation exercises, and an interactive chatbot to promote healthy sleep behaviors. Fifty adult participants diagnosed with chronic insomnia will be randomly assigned to either the intervention group, which will use the mobile application alongside their usual treatment, or to a control group receiving only standard care. The primary outcomes will assess the app's usability and participants' adherence to sleep hygiene practices. Secondary outcomes will evaluate changes in insomnia severity, mood, and quality of life. Assessments will occur at the start of the study, after the 8-week intervention, and at a 6-month follow-up to explore the intervention's long-term effects.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Usability and Acceptability of Digital Health Technology (DHT) — After 8 weeks of intervention (T1)
  Usability and acceptability measured by the User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ) and digital engagement metrics, including app access frequency, session duration, notification interactions, and drop-out rates.
• Adherence to Sleep Hygiene Practices — Baseline (T0), after 8 weeks (T1), and at 6-month follow-up (T2)
  Change in adherence to recommended sleep hygiene behaviors assessed through the Sleep Hygiene Index (SHI).

Trial sites (1)

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