Feasibility of a Personalized SMS Intervention for Insomnia

Insomnia is a pervasive disorder affecting approximately 10-40% of the U.S. population in a given year. In addition, insomnia has been identified as a transdiagnostic symptom that cuts across numerous other psychological disorders. Interventions that target disordered sleep may attenuate symptomatic distress for a multitude of psychological disorders, making it a potentially potent intervention target with broad public health potential. Despite the ubiquity of the problem, only a fraction of individuals who could benefit actually receive the most effective intervention for insomnia, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). Emerging research has pointed to the possibility of monitoring behavior and delivering personalized interventions to specific individuals via mobile devices. Personalized and adaptive interventions delivered via Short Message Service (SMS) provide a relatively simple solution to prompt individuals to engage in personalized interventions outside the context of opening or downloading a mobile mental health app. The content of text messages have the capacity to modulate behavior via prompts, motivational messages, and "nudges." By using brief, motivational messages based on evidence-based treatment for sleep (e.g. CBT-I), there is the potential to reduce dysfunctional sleep patterns at scale.