A Theory-based Sleep Hygiene Education for Insomnia Patients
Key facts
- Who runs it
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
- Where
- Hong Kong1 site in 1 countryChoose a country to see its sites
- Trial code
- Status
- Completed
- People taking part
- 11 people enrolled
- Started
- 13 May 2026
- Ended
- 30 Jul 2026
- Type of study
- Interventional
- Treatments tested
- Sleep Hygiene Education
- Record updated
- 24 September 2026
Who can take part
- Age
- 18 years to 65 years
- Sex
- Women and men
- Healthy volunteers
- Cannot take part
The registry criteria, word for word
Show all 12 criteriaShow less
Who can take part
- Hong Kong residents
- Ethnic Chinese aged 18-65 years with the ability to communicate in Cantonese or Putonghua
- Fulfilled the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for insomnia disorder according to a validated diagnostic tool, the Brief Insomnia Questionnaire. The criteria included having difficulties falling asleep, staying asleep, or early morning awakening with clinically significant consequences for daily life for at least 3 months
- Scored at least 10 points in the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI)
- Willing to give informed consent
Who cannot take part
- Any current diagnosis fulfilling the DSM-IV criteria of a major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, substance use disorders, or schizophrenia as screened using the Chinese version of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV
- Other sleep disorders, including circadian rhythm disorder, narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), and restless leg syndrome (RLS)/periodic leg movement disorder (PLMD) as determined based on cut-off scores (≥ 7 on narcolepsy; ≥ 8 on circadian rhythm disorder; ≥ 15 on OSA; ≥ 7 on RLS/PLMD) using SLEEP-50. If in doubt, subjects will be referred to our team psychiatrist (KF Chung) for further assessment
- Any current medical conditions or side-effects of medication that are contributing significantly to the subject's insomnia
- Taking medications or currently participating in other psychotherapies for insomnia or other psychiatric disorders
- Impaired cognitive functioning (<22 points in HK-MoCA) or with difficulty in giving consent or understanding instructions
- Pregnant
- Shift work
This trial has no sites in United States.
It has sites in one country. Choose a country to see its sites.
About the trial
What the trial wants to find out
Insomnia is a prevalent sleep disorder associated with substantial negative health consequences, including fatigue, irritability, and impaired daytime functioning. Although effective pharmacological and psychological treatments exist, fewer than half of individuals with insomnia seek professional treatment, highlighting the need for accessible and acceptable non-pharmacological interventions. Sleep hygiene education (SHE) has the potential to address this gap due to its simplicity, low cost, and ease of self-administration. However, previous studies have often underestimated the efficacy of SHE by using it as a passive control condition rather than an active, structured intervention. To address this limitation, the proposed pilot study aims to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of a theory-based, structured SHE program integrated with behavior change techniques.
The group in the trial
- Sleep Hygiene EducationTreatment being tested
Participants in this group will receive a structured six-week SHE intervention. The intervention includes two weekly 2 hours group-based, face-to-face educational sessions (total 4 hours) conducted in a classroom at the School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, followed by four weekly individualized telephone consultations lasting approximately 10 minutes each. During the educational sessions, participants will receive education on insomnia and evidence-based sleep hygiene practices and will develop individualized behavior change plans to support sustained sleep hygiene implementation. The subsequent telephone consultations will reinforce adherence to these plans through review of progress, discussion of barriers, and provision of tailored feedback. To obtain qualitative feedback on the acceptability of the intervention, a focus group interview lasting approximately 1 hour will be conducted after completion of the second educational session.
Data and sources
- Registry record
- Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
- Official title
- Developing a Theory-based Sleep Hygiene Education Intervention for Insomnia Patients - A Mixed Method Study
- Record updated
- 24 September 2026