Everyone deserves a good night’s rest.
Are you struggling to fall asleep or do you wake up during the night and can’t get back to sleep? You are not alone.
Insomnia affects millions of people and researchers need your help to evaluate a new way to treat insomnia that doesn’t use medication.
Insomnia Study
Researchers at the University of Newcastle want to hear from you if you have difficulty sleeping and want to try a promising new non-medication treatment for insomnia.
What is insomnia?
Insomnia is a type of sleep disorder characterised by persistent difficulties initiating, maintaining, or not experiencing restorative sleep despite having the opportunity and desire to sleep.
Anyone can have insomnia, but when difficulty sleeping happens 3+ times per week it is considered clinically significant and likely to benefit from treatment.
Symptoms
Difficulty falling or staying asleep, or having poor quality sleep are common symptoms of insomnia.
Causes
Insomnia is often associated with situational factors: stress, sleep habits, and medications.
Treatment
There are effective treatments available, but they may be difficult to access or to master.
New Treatments Are Needed
“Despite advances in the treatment of insomnia millions of Australians are still unable to sleep.”
Conjoint A/Professor Lisa Lampe
MBBS, PhD, FRANZCP
Something old, something new…
The societal and healthcare burden of chronic insomnia remains substantial, despite advances in treatments. Behavioural treatments are often not available or beneficial. Mindfulness shows comparable effectiveness to other insomnia treatments but is difficult to learn.
Digital Therapeutics
A new era in insomnia treatment delivery
Digital technologies such as virtual reality or VR have been changing and facilitating healthcare delivery since the 1990s.
VR-delivered mindfulness has successfully been used to deliver treatment for disorders where difficulty sleeping is a common symptom.
Preliminary results on the use of VR-delivered mindfulness for the treatment of insomnia are promising, but more research is needed
A new way to learn & practice mindfulness
The University of Newcastle is evaluating the use of VR-delivered mindfulness to treat insomnia.
Research Aims
The research aims to assess if VR-delivered mindfulness is feasible by comparing the same mindfulness content delivered using either a VR headset or a phone or tablet.
At-Home Mindfulness
Participants will use and app to practice 2 sessions of mindfulness a week over 4 weeks. All participants will have the opportunity to use VR and phone or tablet-delivered mindfulness.
Trouble Sleeping?
Many people don’t have access to or benefit from the currently available treatments. With your help, we will find new ways to deliver treatment for insomnia.
Insomnia Study
If you have difficulty sleeping and want to try a promising new non-medication treatment for insomnia we want to hear from you. Follow the link to join the study.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to some common questions about the research are shown below.
If you can’t find an answer to your question below, feel free to contact us, and we’ll be happy to help.
What is the research about?
The purpose of the research is to evaluate the use of virtual reality delivered mindfulness as an at-home treatment for chronic insomnia.
Using an existing VR-delivered mindfulness treatment the study aims to identify technical challenges of using at-home VR-delivered mindfulness.
What does the research involve?
Study participants are randomised to receive either 4 weeks of at-home mindfulness delivered using a VR headset or a phone or tablet.
Participants complete 2 mindfulness sessions per week, each less than 20 minutes at a time of their choosing.
How can I participate in the study?
Potential participants are asked to complete a brief 5 to 10 minute online survey about their difficulties sleeping, mood, and lifesyle habits
After completing the online survey all potential participants will be notified of their eligibility.
Why is the research needed?
Insomnia is common. Most people will experience it at least once in their lifetime. For many insomnia is short-lived, often due to situational factors such as stress, poor sleep habits, and medications.
Yet, for others, it is chronic and without treatment unlikely to stop. Available treatments are effective, but not always available or useful.
Who can participate in the study?
The study is open to NSW Hunter New England and Central Coast residents aged 18 to 80, who have had difficulties sleeping for more than 3 months and are interested in trying VR delivered mindfulness.
What are the risks of participating?
Participants are asked about sleep problems and impact on health and well-being, which is not expected to be distressing but some may find slightly upsetting. The mindfulness application used in the study is commercially available and will be provided by the study.
Who is conducting the research?
The study is being conducted by an experienced team of researchers at the University of Newcastle.
Additional information on each member of the research team is available here.
What are the potential benefits of participating in the study?
Participants have the opportunity to use mindfulness, a treatment shown to be beneficial for insomnia. Participants in the phone or tablet group use the same mindfulness app and have the option to complete an additional 4-weeks of VR-delivered mindfulness at the end of the study. VR has been shown to amplify the relaxation benefits of mindfulness.
Are there any costs to participate in the study?
Participation is free and training is given. VR headsets are provided for use during the study. All participants who complete the study will receive a $100 digital gift card as as a token of appreciation.
Treatment is virtual, but the impact is real.
Try a promising new treatment for insomnia using virtual reality. Download more information about the study and find out if you can participate.
Give us a call
Have questions or need more information? We’re here to help. Contact our friendly research team.
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Insomnia Research 