Published on 05/30/2022 at 9:47 p.m.,
Reading 2 mins.
Do you want to sleep better but without taking pills? UK health services may have the answer. They recommend the use of an application based on artificial intelligence and cognitive behavioral therapy.
An application on prescription? It is now possible for doctors in the English National Health Service (NHS – English health system) to prescribe the Sleepio application to their patients suffering from insomnia, instead of their traditional sleeping pill.
An app based on AI and CBT
Sleepio is a smart app that offers insomnia monitoring and cognitive behavioral therapy to people who use it. This helps avoid taking sleeping pills, which can be addictive as most are not intended for long-term use.
Costing only 45 pounds per person (about 56 euros), it could be profitable for the English health economic system because its use would generate “fewer consultations and fewer drug prescriptions“. According to the British authorities, around 800,000 English people could benefit from it.
A complete program
The app offers a 6-week digital self-help program that includes a sleep test, weekly interactive cognitive behavioral therapy sessions, and sleep-pattern journaling.
Sessions focus on identifying thoughts, feelings and behaviors that contribute to insomnia. Cognitive interventions aim to improve how a person thinks about sleep, and behavioral interventions are designed to promote a healthy sleep routine.
Digital health technology
The Sleepio program is designed to be completed in 6 weeks, but people have full access for 12 months from when they start using the app. This accessibility allows people to complete sessions at their own pace and revisit sessions if they wish. Jeanette Kusel, Director of Medical Technology and Digital at the National Institute for Healthcare Excellence in the UK explains that “Sleepio is cost-effective for the NHS compared to standard primary care treatments. It’s a great example of how digital health technology can help the NHS.”.
A really reliable tool
Asked about the Sleepio application, Dr. Maxime Elbaz, doctor in neuroscience, specialist in sleep and connected objects at the Hôtel-Dieu in Paris, explains that this type of application works very well. “It’s not a gadget, we have a lot of hindsight on this type of tool, which was developed by specialists. This application is based on the same cognitive behavioral therapies that we offer in sessions at the Hôtel-Dieu and which we know work. The app is made smart by AI. This means that it offers active and personalized monitoring to the user, who can use it anywhere and anytime”.
Consult a doctor online for your sleep disorders
Soon in France ?
Analysis of the sleep diary, the work week, the hygieno-dietetic rules… So many elements that you have to learn to pay attention to when you encounter a sleep problem. Things learned during CBT sessions, which can be done through this remote application.
If versions of this type of tool exist in the United States as well, in France, this is not yet the case. “There is a company in France, based in Montpellier, called Therasomnia, which offers dematerialized sleep monitoring, but which has not launched an application to my knowledge” concludes Dr. Elbaz.