Effect of CBT Intervention to Improve Sleep on Wellbeing, Dietary Intake and Food Preference
Condition: Sleep; Diet; Well Being
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The study aims to investigate the effects of Cognitive Behavioural therapy intervention on
      sleep and it's effects on well-being, dietary intake and food preferences during COVID-19.
      The study will investigate whether delivery of a CBT intervention will lead to an improvement
      in sleep quality and sleep duration and will consequently improve metabolic health. The
      participants will be randomized into two groups with one half in the intervention arm and the
      other in the control arm of the study.
    

Detailed description: 
      Reduced sleep duration and sleep quality have become increasingly important areas in the
      study and epidemiology of sleep and are linked with numerous health risks. The Centers for
      Disease Control and Prevention have found that in the last few years there has been a
      significant reduction in sleep duration in adults, with an average duration of <7 hours, with
      some suggestion that this can contribute to increased risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes.

      Studies on sleep restriction have observed that even a single night of sleep deprivation
      leads to a reduction in insulin sensitivity and increases the prevalence of diabetes.
      Similarly shortened and/or poor-quality sleep has been found to cause dysregulation in
      ghrelin and leptin levels, which can increase energy intake and motivation to seek out foods
      with higher fat and sugar content. Although a wide range of research focuses on the effects
      of short sleep and its impact on health, few studies have focused on whether improving sleep
      can improve cardiometabolic outcomes.

      Research has estimated that almost 30% of individuals suffer from insomnia or insomnia like
      symptoms. The most common method to combat this has been over-the-counter medication and
      hypnotics; however, there is very little evidence available on the efficacy of such
      treatments. Over the years, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy has been found to produce long term
      and significant results in individuals with insomnia. It has shown to significantly improve
      the various parameters of sleep such as sleep latency, wake after sleep onset, sleep
      efficiency and sleep quality. Studies on patients with primary insomnia have shown that those
      undergoing CBT treatment improve their sleep by an average of 6 hours and improve their sleep
      efficiency. Furthermore, those undergoing CBT have shown long term improvements with healthy
      circadian rhythms, regulated hormonal secretory patterns and blood glucose levels.

      A research study on short sleep duration with an intervention consisting of behavioural
      consultations focusing on extending sleep found that extending sleep, through this
      intervention, reduced the intake of free sugars, fat, and carbohydrates. Since CBT requires
      minimal intervention, it could be considered as the ideal mode of therapy to improve sleep.

      In the current scenario, with the significant effects of COVID-19 observed on morbidity,
      daily lifestyle behaviours, and mental health, an effective psychological intervention may
      help to improve both mental and physiological health. This study aims to investigate the
      effects of an intervention which improves sleep on metabolic health outcomes. Through this
      study, the investigators aim to test the feasibility of a CBT intervention in improving sleep
      in our target population consisting of overweight/obese adults reporting poor sleep and to
      further understand participants' experiences with the CBT to improve health and sleep
      outcomes during a pandemic.

      The study is a randomized control trial where all participants will undergo the screening and
      baseline measurements. On completion of these procedures, the participants in the
      intervention group will undergo an 8-week session plan for 1 hour every week conducted online
      by a certified CBT-i trained psychologist. On completion of the study, all participants will
      be asked to undertake post-intervention measures.
    

Intervention name(s): Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Weekly CBTI training
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Intervention model description: A randomised controlled trial with two groups CBT intervention group and control group.
Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Sleep Extension; Sleep deprivation; Dietary intake; Well being; Cognitive Behavioural Therapy; Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia; CBTi; Sleep Quality