An Interactive Internet Intervention for Adults With Insomnia

This study will compare the efficacy of an interactive Internet intervention for adult insomnia (Sleep Healthy Using the Internet; SHUTi) to that of a static educational website to improve sleep, mood related symptoms, perceived health status, and overall quality of life.

Insomnia is defined by complaints of poor sleep, as well as difficulties initiating and/or maintaining sleep more than 3 nights/week for more than 6 months. Insomnia may contribute to daytime fatigue, impaired performance, confused thinking and judgment, and difficulty with work and personal tasks. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been found to have significant short- and long-term benefits for people with insomnia. Access to CBT for many people, however, is limited, due to the high cost of treatment and a limited number of trained professionals. Delivering CBT for insomnia via the Internet could help make it more widely available. This study will compare the effectiveness of an online CBT intervention in improving sleep, mood, and quality of life in people with insomnia to that of a static educational website. Participants in this study will be randomly assigned to receive the online CBT intervention or the static patient education website. The intervention period will last for 9 weeks. During the intervention period, participants assigned to the patient education website will be given content addressing strategies for dealing with insomnia. Those assigned to use the Internet intervention will review interactive, tailored content specific to the user's difficulties. Participants will complete questionnaires and two weeks of daily sleep diaries about their symptoms at four time points - at the beginning of the study, immediately after completing the 9 week program, 6 months later, and 12 months later.