Self Help Program for Hypnotics Withdrawal in Insomniac Patients

Summary

Persistent insomnia has a high prevalence in French general population affecting between 15.8 % and 19 % of adults. In France, the disease is mainly managed by general practitioners (GP) who usually proposed intermediate half-life benzodiazepines and Z-drugs in first-line treatment. French Health authorities recommend restricting the consumption of both hypnotics to no more than 4 weeks, considering their potential adverse effects (memory impairment, altered sleep physiology, motor-vehicle crash), and the risk of tolerance and dependence. However, it appears that a majority of patients become chronic users. Therefore, discontinuation of benzodiazepines/Z-drugs is recommended, but it may appear as a challenge due to withdrawal symptoms and psychological factors (anticipatory anxiety, fear of rebound insomnia).

Numerous studies have shown that programs based on Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) principles improve sleep and daily life quality leading to hypnotic taper and maintain of hypnotic abstinence in insomniac patients. Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is based on 4 components: sleep restriction, stimulus control, cognitive therapy and sleep hygiene education. This therapy is dependent on a therapeutic alliance between practitioner and patient. Unfortunately, there are an insufficient number of trained CBT experts especially in France.

The implementation of an internet-delivered self-help program based on time-in-bed restriction and stimulus control may be an issue within the context of general practice.

Online programs based on CBT principles have been proved to be effective in improving the sleep and daytime functioning in this population, but the studies were realized in small patients groups.

Investigators hypothesis is that a simple and internet-delivered short-term program based on sleep restriction therapy and stimulus control (following to a GP consultation) may facilitate hypnotics discontinuation (benzodiazepines/Z-drugs) in patient with insomnia disorder still reporting sleep complaints in comparison with a tapering alone (no access to the self-help program).

Conditions

• Insomnia

Interventions

OTHER

Standardized gradual hypnotic taper

The gradual hypnotic taper is standardized and is adjusted depending on the hypnotic treatment and the initial weekly dose. The practitioner will give to the patient a calendar for the taper period with the specific dose for each day (name of hypnotic, quantity and dose of pills).

BEHAVIORAL

Short-term simple self-help program

The short-term simple self-help program consists in: * Restriction of time in bed * Stimulus control instructions The restriction of time in bed would be delivered by an e-health tool (web site). The patient will have to connect to the web site with an individual connexion password. He will connect every day to complete an on-line sleep diary during the period of the simple short-term behavioural program (5 weeks). After this period, patients will have the choice to continue connecting to the website and using the program or to stop using the program.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University Hospital, Bordeaux

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Antoine BENARD, MD-PhD · USMR - CHU de Bordeaux

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

75 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2016-10-04

Primary Completion

2019-10-25

Completion

2019-11-25

Countries

• France

Study Locations