Self-help Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Insomnia

• Sleep diary [ Time Frame: Six weeks after beginning of treatment ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Daily self-observation of sleeping behaviours used to calculate Total Sleep Time, Wake After Sleep Onset, Sleep Onset Latency, Sleep Efficiency, and gagues Sleep Quality, Daytime Ratings, Daytime Fatique and Bedtime Stress.
  
  
• Sleep diary [ Time Frame: 5 months after beginning of treatment (i.e. about three months after the end of treatment) ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Daily self-observation of sleeping behaviours used to calculate Total Sleep Time, Wake After Sleep Onset, Sleep Onset Latency, Sleep Efficiency, and gagues Sleep Quality, Daytime Ratings, Daytime Fatique and Bedtime Stress.
  
  
• Sleep diary [ Time Frame: 15 months after the end of treatment ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Daily self-observation of sleeping behaviours used to calculate Total Sleep Time, Wake After Sleep Onset, Sleep Onset Latency, Sleep Efficiency, and gagues Sleep Quality, Daytime Ratings, Daytime Fatique and Bedtime Stress.
  
  

• Insomnia Severity Index [ Time Frame: Six weeks after beginning of treatment ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  7-item patient-reported outcome assessing the severity of initial, middle and late insomnia; sleep satisfaction; interference of insomnia with daytime functioning; noticeability of sleep problems by others; and distress about sleep difficulties. A 5-point scale is used to rate each item, yielding a total score of 0 to 28. Higher score indicates more severe insomnia within 4 severity categories: absence of insomnia (score of 0-7); subthreshold insomnia (8-14); moderate insomnia (15-21) and severe insomnia (22-28).
  
  
• Insomnia Severity Index [ Time Frame: 5 months after beginning of treatment (i.e. about three months after the end of treatment) ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  7-item patient-reported outcome assessing the severity of initial, middle and late insomnia; sleep satisfaction; interference of insomnia with daytime functioning; noticeability of sleep problems by others; and distress about sleep difficulties. A 5-point scale is used to rate each item, yielding a total score of 0 to 28. Higher score indicates more severe insomnia within 4 severity categories: absence of insomnia (score of 0-7); subthreshold insomnia (8-14); moderate insomnia (15-21) and severe insomnia (22-28).
  
  
• Insomnia Severity Index [ Time Frame: 15 months after the end of treatment ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  7-item patient-reported outcome assessing the severity of initial, middle and late insomnia; sleep satisfaction; interference of insomnia with daytime functioning; noticeability of sleep problems by others; and distress about sleep difficulties. A 5-point scale is used to rate each item, yielding a total score of 0 to 28. Higher score indicates more severe insomnia within 4 severity categories: absence of insomnia (score of 0-7); subthreshold insomnia (8-14); moderate insomnia (15-21) and severe insomnia (22-28).
  
  

CBT has previously been identified as an effective treatment for insomnia. However, there is a lack of trained CBT-therapists, and self-help is beginning to prove useful for many areas of psychological distress. Earlier studies of different kinds of self-help (e.g. computer based and bibliotherapeutic) suggest that many patients do indeed benefit from self-help treatments for insomnia, but there is a need for independent replications. Also, most previous studies have had very strict inclusion criteria, such that for instance only individuals with primary insomnia and no co-morbid problems have been included. A general question in self-help is whether patients need therapist support to benefit from treatment, or if a book is enough to alleviate symptoms.