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Q&A: Using Sleepio to overcome insomnia and restore good mental health

Discover how Sleepio allowed Wendy Holcomb to restore hope in a time that felt hopeless and how she was able to overcome insomnia and feel like herself again.

Q1: When did you begin experiencing sleep issues?

A1 | Wendy: I started experiencing insomnia around the beginning of 2020 which was very unusual for me as I was a good sleeper my whole life up until that point. I believe it started with a series of cascading physical events – I had a bad migraine in the middle of the night which triggered some things and all of the sudden I wasn’t sleeping at all. My mental health began spiraling from there and I began experiencing anxiety and depression as a result.

Q2: How did you find out about Sleepio?

A2 | Wendy: When my sleep issues persisted I knew I was in need of treatment. I began working with a sleep doctor at a local practice who recommended Sleepio for insomnia.

Q3: How was your experience using Sleepio?

A3 | Wendy: Sleepio was a game changer for me. It definitely took some time and effort – but it gave me hope. It was incredibly helpful, especially given COVID-19 had just started so this was something I could do in the comfort of my home. I can’t say enough good things about the program.

When you suffer from insomnia you feel like you’re on your own. It feels like everyone else is asleep and you’re supposed to be doing the same but your brain just won’t let you. It’s lonely and it’s scary – and its impact on my mental health was even scarier. At the point where things were very bad I felt hopeless, but Sleepio restored that hope. The program is very upbeat and there’s a community of other people on the site to make you feel connected and less alone which is very motivating.

While I never found out the exact cause of my sleep problems, what I appreciate about Sleepio is that it doesn’t matter and it can work for anyone. Whether you have had insomnia for a really long time, if you had PTSD which triggered issues, or another reason, Sleepio’s protocol and tools would work. There are so many sleep products out there, but this one isn’t something that is a “quick fix,” you’re actually learning a process based on research. I would say to anyone that this is the way you’re going to have long term success.

Q4: How are you sleeping now?

A4 | Wendy: My sleep has tremendously improved. I just recently stopped seeing a sleep specialist and waned myself off of the Sleepio program, but continue to use the techniques as needed. And if something were to happen again or I have a bad night, I know I have the tools to make physical and mental shifts to get myself back on track. I still follow the protocols rigidly. It re-trained my brain on how to sleep again.

Q5: How has your improved sleep impacted your day-to-day life?

A5 | Wendy: Insomnia was one of the hardest things I’ve ever gone through health-wise. It was an emotional pain and to have your mental health spiral is hard and you start to question how you can live like this, but I want people to know that there are ways to get out of that place.

Thanks to Sleepio, my mental health is way up. I feel like myself again – the issues of anxiety and depression are gone, my work productivity is up, my personal health and relationships have improved, and my sense of who I am and wellbeing is completely restored.

Sleepio is a digital therapeutic for insomnia that is clinically proven to help you clear your mind, improve your sleep, and have better days. Sleepio takes your unique needs and builds you a personalized six-week program, with sessions that guide you step by step through evidence-based methods.

Sleepio has been rigorously studied for safety and efficacy just like any sleep medication a doctor would prescribe. In 12 randomized controlled trials with over 13,000 participants, Sleepio was proven to help participants fall asleep faster, spend less time awake at night, and have better daytime functioning the next day.

Disclaimer: Sleepio is available as an adjunct to usual medical care for insomnia disorder for adults ages 18 and older, without FDA review under their COVID-19 policy.

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During the COVID-19 public health emergency, Sleepio and Daylight are being made available as treatments for insomnia disorder and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), respectively, without a prescription. Sleepio and Daylight have not been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of insomnia disorder and GAD, respectively.

1. Qaseem, A., Kansagara, D., Forciea, M. A., Cooke, M., & Denberg, T. D. (2016). Management of chronic insomnia disorder in adults: a clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians. Annals of Internal Medicine, 165(2), 125-133.2. Riemann, D., Baglioni, C., Bassetti, C., Bjorvatn, B., Dolenc Groselj, L., Ellis, J. G., … & Spiegelhalder, K. (2017). European guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of insomnia. Journal of Sleep Research, 26(6), 675-700.3. Wilson, S., Anderson, K., Baldwin, D., Dijk, D. J., Espie, A., Espie, C., … & Sharpley, A. (2019). British Association for Psychopharmacology consensus statement on evidence-based treatment of insomnia, parasomnias and circadian rhythm disorders: an update. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 33(8), 923-947.4. King’s Technology Evaluation Centre. (2017, November 9). Overview: Health app: SLEEPIO for adults with poor Sleep: Advice. NICE. https://www.nice.org.uk/advice/mib129.5. Espie, C. A., Kyle, S. D., Williams, C., Ong, J. C., Douglas, N. J., Hames, P., & Brown, J. S. (2012). A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of online cognitive behavioral therapy for chronic insomnia disorder delivered via an automated media-rich web application. Sleep, 35(6), 769-781.6. Carl, J. R., Miller, C. B., Henry, A. L., Davis, M. L., Stott, R., Smits, J. A., … & Espie, C. A. (2020). Efficacy of digital cognitive behavioral therapy for moderate‐to‐severe symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder: A randomized controlled trial. Depression and Anxiety, 37(12), 1168-1178.

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