Dutch research team develops “sleep coach” app for insomniacs

An app that helps you sleep better. That is what researchers from Utrecht University, the University of Amsterdam and TU Delft have been developing for suffering insomniacs.

The app has been appropriately named, SleepCare. This app not only records sleep patterns but also offers a variety of sleep therapies, such as sleep restriction, relaxation and sleep hygiene.

Poor sleep can have negative effects of both ones healthy and quality of life but, with proper training, you can learn to sleep better. Project manager, Robbert Jan Beun from Utrecht University, stated that,”…this appears to be more effective than sleeping pills.”

"A personalised treatment for insomnia is very important. With the right training, you can learn to sleep better and this will actually be more effective than sleep medication in the long term," Beun added. Roughly ten percent of the Dutch population are chronic suffers of insomnia, according to a statement from Utrecht University.

SleepCare is currently only available for Android phones. The research is published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.