Comorbid Insomnia and Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA, affects over 1 billion adults worldwide. OSA is one of many sleep disorders. Individuals can suffer from more than one sleep disorder at a time. Insomnia (difficulty falling or staying asleep) is a separate sleep disorder that is very often seen in OSA patients. Depending on reports, insomnia can be present in 30%-60% of patients diagnosed with OSA. This research is being conducted to determine whether treating insomnia can help patients with OSA to have better outcomes when treating their OSA.

This study investigates the efficacy of a wearable voice-guided Brief Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (BBTi) combined with a smart eye-mask device for individuals with Comorbid Insomnia and Sleep Apnea (COMISA). The four-year study comprises three phases: (1) exploration of cognitive-emotion regulation-arousal system mechanisms in COMISA and pilot BBTi intervention testing, (2) development and usability testing of an integrated smart eye-mask with BBTi voice-guided modules, and (3) a multi-center randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluating the combined BBTi plus smart eye-mask intervention versus BBTi alone, smart eye-mask alone, and standard sleep hygiene education in 160 COMISA participants. Primary outcomes include insomnia severity (ISI), daytime sleepiness (ESS), and CPAP adherence. The study aims to establish an evidence-based digital health intervention for improving sleep outcomes in COMISA patients.