Introduction

Sleep problems are very common and often co-occur with mental health symptoms such as low mood/depression, anxiety or stress. Sleep problems and these mental health symptoms can reinforce one another and contribute to a worsening of both conditions. Research has shown that improvements in sleep may be associated with reductions in mental health symptoms. However, treatments for sleep problems are not always readily available.

Low-intensity, accessible home-based sleep interventions have been shown to improve sleep outcomes in individuals with sleep problems. However, it has not yet been thoroughly investigated whether these sleep programs are also effective for people who experience mental health symptoms in addition to sleep problems.

The BR-IDGE study is a clinical, randomized trial involving military personnel and veterans with sleep difficulties alongside with mental health problems. In this study, we compare two different sleep programs that participants follow at home for six weeks. One program focuses on adjusting bedtime and sleep schedules. The other program consists of education and practical advice regarding sleep and sleep habits. Participants are assigned to one of the two programs by random allocation. In both programs, participants keep a daily sleep diary and have brief, weekly telephone contact with a member of the research team.

The primary outcomes of this study arechanges in sleep. In addition, we examine whether changes in sleep areassociated with changes in mental health symptoms. The study also includes physiological assessments, such as brain activity, heart rate, and pupil responses.

Project overview

Objective

  1. To investigate whether simple, self-guided sleep programs can improve sleep in military personnel and veterans with sleep problems and mental health symptoms.
  2. To investigate whether changes in sleep are associated with changes in mental health symptoms.

Target group
The study is intended for military personnel and veterans (18 years and up) who experience long-term sleep problems in combination with mental health symptoms such as low mood/depression, anxiety, stress, or concentration difficulties.

Timeline
The study starts in 2026 and is expected to continue for two years.

Results
The study results are expected in 2028