Having plentiful and restful sleep is important, especially over the longer term. The human body needs rest so that the body cells to regenerate, muscles can grow and memories can form within the brain. This does not happen in cases of serious and prolonged cases of insomnia. Insomnia is a sleep disorder where people have trouble sleeping; this can be difficulty falling asleep, or not staying asleep as long as desired.
Insomnia is generally followed by daytime sleepiness, plus bouts of low energy, irritability, and a depressed mood. There are many societal risks such as an increased chance of motor vehicle collisions, plus associated problems focusing and learning. The condition can be over the short term (days or weeks), or over percids of time stretching for more than one month.
To treat insomnia therapy or medications can be taken, with varying degrees of success. Medications, however, are not advised over a long period of time because they can affect memory recall and they can lead to dependency.
For these reasons, attention has been paid to alternative treatments. One such device is a so-termed “digital sleeping pill”. This has been made available in the U.K., via the health service. The device is called Sleepio, and it is based on the psychological technique of cognitive behavioral therapy, to help individuals to combat sleepless nights.
The reason why the app is based on this psychological method is because many who suffer with insomnia speak of a ‘racing mind’. Here people cannot stop the flow of thoughts and worries, which keeps them awake. The Sleepio digital health solution provides several strategies to help users address these negative thoughts and to reset their sleep patterns.
The following video shows the app in action:
The app also assists with depression and anxiety triggers for sleep disturbance. In this context has been tested in several clinical studies. Here 68 percent of patients who have used the app to address depression and anxiety stated that their insomnia improved. moved on to recover from their illness. The National Health Service has new goals to improve the recovery of patients from mental illnesses and to find lower cost solutions for patients to access mental health services and psychologists.
Commenting on the app, which includes an interactive avatar, Dr. Michael Mulholland is a Buckinghamshire GP and the Clinical Lead for this project said: “In my role as a General Practitioner I see the impact of insomnia on people’s’ lives every day. Sleepio offers a real opportunity to transform lives for the better and to reduce reliance on sleeping tablets. This collaboration will explore the potential of digital innovations to improve people’s lives.”
