Research into lifestyle treatments for insomnia | UniSC | University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

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Research into lifestyle treatments for insomnia

Finding it hard to get to or stay asleep, or dissatisfied with your sleep?

Researchers from the University of the Sunshine Coast, in partnership with the Sleep Health Foundation, want to know what adults experiencing sleep difficulties think about getting support to eat well and be active to improve sleep.
This information will inform the development of a lifestyle intervention that could be routinely offered to people with insomnia. So your involvement could help improve the lives of others!.

Why this research is important

Insomnia is really common in Australia. Existing treatments are effective for some, but not for others. One reason for this may be that adequate support to optimise diet and physical activity levels is not commonly offered. Incorporating such support may be one way to improve the effectiveness of treatments for people with insomnia.

What the research aims to achieve

As a first step in the process of developing a lifestyle intervention for people experiencing symptoms of insomnia, we want to understand

  1. How many people might need support to eat healthy and be more active
  2. Your preferences for how an intervention could be delivered,
  3. The things that may help or make it hard for you to make positive changes to your diet and activity levels

This information is crucial in guiding decisions about the type and content of the intervention.

What the research involves

If you choose to take part, you will be asked to complete an online survey. It is anonymous and will take approximately 45 minutes. If you wish to take a break while completing the survey, if you leave your internet browser open the survey will not time out and you can recommence at a later time.

Once you finish the survey, you may choose to enter a prize draw for a chance to win 1 of 5 prizes valued at approximately $100 each. To maintain the anonymity of your responses, you will be directed to a separate survey link to provide your contact details, which will not be used for any other purpose and will be deleted once the prizes have been awarded.

in 1 of 5 prizes

Who can take part?

You must:

  • Be 18 to 65 years old.
  • Live in Australia.
  • Be currently experiencing symptoms of insomnia.

For a number of reasons, you won’t be eligible to participate if you:

  • Have been diagnosed or treated for any of the following: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), a form of dementia, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Narcolepsy, or if you are currently experiencing symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea.
  • Are currently consuming risky amounts of alcohol.
  • Are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Keen to take part in this groundbreaking research?

If you are interested in the study, please click on the button below. You will be provided with some more detail about the study, including eligibility criteria, the process for consent, privacy and confidentiality, and support available, if needed. You can then make an informed decision about whether you'd like to participate. Participation is entirely voluntary.

This research has ethical approval from University of the Sunshine Coast Human Research Ethics Committee.


For more information, contact Dr Alexandra Metse by phone +61 7 5456 3476 or email ametse@usc.edu.au