COMPUTERIZED SELF-HELP TREATMENT FOR PRIMARY INSOMNIA

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The primary goal of the project is to develop a hand-held computer that will provide a treatment program for individuals with primary chronic insomnia. The computer will utilize prompting and timing mechanisms in order to measure sleep behavior and thus create an appropriate treatment program for the specific user. Based on the behavioral principles of stimulus control and sleep restrictions, the computer will prompt times to bed and out of bed, adjusting these times in reference to the individual's previous night's sleep. For phase I, a focus group will be conducted with 10 individuals suffering from primary chronic insomnia that will aid the development of the computer program and a subsequent program guide and relaxation audiocassette. The product will then be tested in a small scale feasibility study with 60 participants who suffer from primary chronic insomnia. Development of the program will follow a structured "proof of concept" approach involving several interactive cycles of prototype development, testing, and refinement. Data from the study and feedback from subjects will be used to guide further product development and the need to tailor algorithms for primary chronic insomnia users. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS: The proposed product, the Insomnia Assessment and Treatment program, will provide a computer-assisted, self-help behavioral strategy for people experiencing chronic primary insomnia. With over 30 million adults in the U.S. experiencing chronic primary insomnia and with only a small percentage of people with insomnia utilizing professional treatment, there is a large market of people with insomnia who desire a readily available and effective treatment. Given the superior long-term outcomes and acceptability of behavioral treatments for insomnia relative to pharmacologic treatments, a computer-assisted self-help behavioral treatment for insomnia should have wide commercial appeal.