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Sleep Information by Telephone: Callers Indicate Positive Effects on Sleep Problems
Ingrid Verbeek M.D, Guus Declerck M.D, Arie Knuistingh Neven M.D, Anton Coenen M.D
There is a need to develop effective interventions for insomnia that are readily accessible
and not too expensive. For the reason that earlier studies have already shown that
direct contact with a sleep therapist is not always needed, telephone service may be
useful to give insomnia patients education and instructions about sleep and sleep
hygiene. In April 1998, the ‘Sleep Line’ was introduced in The Netherlands. People with
sleep problems could dial a telephone number for information and tips. Randomly
structured interviews by telephone were held among 302 of the 10.000 people who
called the line in the first nine months of its existence. The average caller of the Seep
Line is a middle aged and highly educated person. Sleep onset is the main complaint.
Almost all subjects have sleep complaints a few nights per week or more, with a mean
duration of five years. Callers listened mostly to general information about sleep and
to treatments not involving hypnotic drugs. About one quarter of the callers
experienced subjective improvements in their sleep after calling the line once or twice.
This means that from the 10.000 people who called the line, the subjectively
experienced sleep quality of approximately more than 2500 people may be improved.
It is suggested that these positive results could be explained by the information about
sleep and sleep hygiene advises given to the callers. We therefore conclude that minimal
intervention using the Sleep Line is a useful supplement to more time consuming and
expensive forms of sleep therapy. (Sleep and Hypnosis 2002;4(2):47-51)
| Keywords: sleep problems, insomnia, telephone line, information, sleep hygiene, subjective sleep improvement |
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