Sleepio is a sleep improvement program created by a team of sleep doctors who are experts in cognitive behavioral therapy. Here’s our Sleepio review.
What is Sleepio?
Can’t sleep? Sleepio wants to help. The customized program lets you set your sleep goals and test your sleep. Then, Sleepio will build a program for you based on your goals and sleep data, then deliver personalized CBT lessons through a trainer called “The Prof”.
The makers of Sleepio claim that the lack of sleep can have a devastating effect on a person. Busy modern lifestyles and an over-use of digital screens has left many of the world with sleep problems. This can leave you anxious, stressed out, and under-performing at work or school.
Sleepio claims it can help you overcome all sleep problems using cognitive behavioral therapy. Instead of taking pills, medications, or using awkward sleep aids like sleep masks or earbuds, you can use Sleepio’s customized brain training program to help you fall asleep.
Let’s take a closer look at how Sleepio works.
How Does Sleepio Work?
Here’s the four step process involved with Sleepio:
Step 1) Set Your Goals: You tell the company what you want to improve in regards to your sleep.
Step 2) Test Your Sleep: You complete a detailed questionnaire asking about your sleep patterns and habits
Step 3) Build Your Program: Sleepio will build a customized sleep program based no your goals
Step 4) CBT Lessons: A virtual trainer called The Prof will deliver cognitive behavioral therapy lessons to you
Obviously, the CBT lessons are the key part of the Sleepio program. So what are CBT lessons and how does cognitive behavioral therapy work?
Sleepio tackles your sleep issue by identifying four core problems, including:
- Your Thoughts
- Your Daily Schedule
- Your Lifestyle
- Your Bedroom
You only follow the Sleepio program once, but the lessons inside the course are designed to last a lifetime.
What to Expect During the Sleepio Program
Once a week, you log on to Sleepio.com and then you’ll meet with “The Prof”. The Prof gives you a personalized 20 minute session designed to help you overcome your sleep problems.
You’ll receive a toolkit that you can use during the upcoming week to improve your sleep.
The toolkit includes checklists and to-do lists to complete throughout your week, as well as things like audio MP3s to help you relax.
Sleepio also consists of a community of like-minded users, including people who are going through the program as well as people who have already graduated the program – and know what you’re going through.
There are 6 weeks of training with the Sleepio program, including:
Week 1) Get Ready
Week 2) Your Thoughts, Your Lifestyle, and Your Bedroom
Week 3) Your Schedule
Week 4) Racing Mind
Week 5) Filling in the Gaps
Week 6) Graduate!
Scientific Evidence for Sleepio
Anyone can sell something online and make all the claims they want – so does Sleepio have any scientific evidence backing up its effectiveness?
Actually, Sleepio does. The treatment program has gone through a placebo-controlled clinical trial. In that trial, a group of participants either followed the Sleepio program or followed a placebo program.
75% of poor sleepers who followed the Sleepio program achieved healthy sleep. Some of the other key indicators from that study included:
- Falling asleep up to 50% more quickly
- Reducing nighttime awakenings by up to 60%
- Boosting daytime energy levels and concentration during the day
Because of all of these benefits, Sleepio claims to be clinically proven to lead to a natural, good night’s sleep.
The key science behind Sleepio comes from its cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques, which, according to the Sleepio website “have been shown in numerous clinical trials to help overcome even long term insomnia”.
CBT is designed to break up the cycle of poor sleep. Today, sleep therapists around the world use CBT for insomnia. A typical CBT treatment lasts 6 to 8 weeks with a trained therapist. During these face-to-face meetings, the therapist will walk the patient through the process of breaking up bad sleep habits. Sleepio is designed to replicate the effectiveness of these meetings – but in a more convenient and affordable online system.
The study mentioned above, by the way, involved 164 people with persistent insomnia. Those 164 people were separated into one of three different groups. One received a CBT training program; the other received an online program without CVBT; and the third received no course over the same period.
Sleepio Pricing
Sleepio is priced at $300 USD or £200.
Alternatively, Sleepio also markets itself to employers around the world. Employers can sign up for a plan, then give each employee free access to the program.
If that price sounds high to you, then consider that it’s a fraction of the cost of a professional sleep therapist – but provides a similar level of effectiveness. As the company explains on the official site, Sleepio is “your virtual sleep therapist for less than $1 per day”.
What’s Included with Sleepio?
Sleepio includes all of the following features and tools you can use to help enjoy a better night’s sleep:
- Sleep diary with activity tracker integration
- Progress tracker to chart your improvement over time
- Relaxation MP3s for when you need to calm the mind and body
- Daily schedule created by The Prof
- Email reminders to keep you on track
- Thought checker to correct your thoughts
- A community to help keep you pushing forward
- A planner to “get it out of your mind and into Sleepio”
- In-depth sleep test to share the details of your sleep pattern
- Sleep stats so all aspects of your sleep are recorded
- A personal reading list of The Prof’s recommendations for a healthier sleep
Who Created Sleepio?
The Sleepio science team includes University of Oxford Professor Colin Espie (co-founder and clinical director) along with experimental psychologist Peter Hames (co-founder and CEO), health psychologist Dr. Sophie Bostock (UK operations lead), and additional expert advisors and sleep researchers. You can view full information about the team here.
Should You Sign Up for Sleepio?
If you want to take a pill that helps you fall asleep more easily at night, then Sleepio isn’t for you. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a natural sleep program, and you’re committed to putting in the time and effort, then Sleepio is the type of training program that could have an amazing long-term impact on your life.
The lessons last for 6 weeks, although the makers of Sleepio claim you can enjoy the benefits for years – or even decades – into the future.
