About this trial
Insomnia is a prevalent sleep disorder associated with substantial negative health consequences, including fatigue, irritability, and impaired daytime functioning. Although effective pharmacological and psychological treatments exist, fewer than half of individuals with insomnia seek professional treatment, highlighting the need for accessible and acceptable non-pharmacological interventions. Sleep hygiene education (SHE) has the potential to address this gap due to its simplicity, low cost, and ease of self-administration. However, previous studies have often underestimated the efficacy of SHE by using it as a passive control condition rather than an active, structured intervention. To address this limitation, the proposed pilot study aims to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of a theory-based, structured SHE program integrated with behavior change techniques.
Eligibility criteria
This trial does not accept healthy volunteersQualifiers
Hong Kong residents
Ethnic Chinese aged 18-65 years with the ability to communicate in Cantonese or Putonghua
Fulfilled the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for insomnia disorder according to a validated diagnostic tool, the Brief Insomnia Questionnaire. The criteria included having difficulties falling asleep, staying asleep, or early morning awakening with clinically significant consequences for daily life for at least 3 months
Scored at least 10 points in the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI)
Disqualifiers
Any current diagnosis fulfilling the DSM-IV criteria of a major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, substance use disorders, or schizophrenia as screened using the Chinese version of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV
Other sleep disorders, including circadian rhythm disorder, narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), and restless leg syndrome (RLS)/periodic leg movement disorder (PLMD) as determined based on cut-off scores (≥ 7 on narcolepsy; ≥ 8 on circadian rhythm disorder; ≥ 15 on OSA; ≥ 7 on RLS/PLMD) using SLEEP-50. If in doubt, subjects will be referred to our team psychiatrist (KF Chung) for further assessment
Any current medical conditions or side-effects of medication that are contributing significantly to the subject's insomnia
Taking medications or currently participating in other psychotherapies for insomnia or other psychiatric disorders
Trial design
Single group
Treatments tested in this trial
Sleep Hygiene Education
BehavioralParticipants in this group will receive a structured six-week SHE intervention. The intervention includes two weekly 2 hours group-based, face-to-face educational sessions (total 4 hours) conducted in a classroom at the School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, followed by four weekly individualized telephone consultations lasting approximately 10 minutes each. During the educational sessions, participants will receive education on insomnia and evidence-based sleep hygiene practices and will develop individualized behavior change plans to support sustained sleep hygiene implementation. The subsequent telephone consultations will reinforce adherence to these plans through review of progress, discussion of barriers, and provision of tailored feedback. To obtain qualitative feedback on the acceptability of the intervention, a focus group interview lasting approximately 1 hour will be conducted after completion of the second educational session.
Treatment groups
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
Insomnia Severity Index (ISI)
The Insomnia Severity Index has 7 items that measured the severity of insomnia complaints and related daytime impairments. The total score ranges between 0 and 28, with the higher scores indicating more severe insomnia. Total score will be used.
Secondary outcomes
A 7-day Subjective Sleep Diary
The subjects will be asked to record their daily sleeping-waking schedule using a standard sleep diary for 7 days, and Sleep parameters, such as sleep onset latency (SOL), wake after sleep onset (WASO), sleep efficiency (SE), and sleep duration (TST) will be measured.
Course Evaluation Form
Participants will be asked to complete a course evaluation form after completing the two SHE sessions. The evaluation consists of five domains comprising a total of 28 items, each rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Total scores range from 28 to 140, with higher scores indicating greater satisfaction with the course content and educational materials.
Sponsors and contacts
Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.
This trial is not recruiting at the moment. You can still explore other options: