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CBT-i Coach app

An app designed in collaboration with the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to support veterans and others who are receiving treatment for insomnia.

CBT-i Coach	By US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
	Features Sleep tracker Education and information Cognitive behavioural therapy-based Reminders (to change sleep habits) Relaxation exercises Mindfulness exercises Get the app: (external link) (external link) (external link)
Country of origin	USA
Clinical review	Read a clinical review of this app.
Security and privacy	Does the app: collect medical information? Yes require a login? No have password protection? No have a privacy policy: Yes require internet access? No Read more safety tips around health apps
Cost	Free

What does the app do?

CBT-i Coach app is designed in collaboration with the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), so it is aimed mainly at supporting veterans and military service members who are receiving treatment for insomnia. However, most of the information and recommendations are quite general, and can be helpful to anyone having sleep difficulties. The developers recommend that this app be used together with a health care provider. The app is divided into 4 main sections:

My Sleep: this section has questions and assessments that enable the user to get a better idea of their sleep habits and together with their health care provider, can ascertain if they have a sleep problem. After completing 5 sleep day diary entries, the user is given an individualised sleep prescription.
Tools: this section has various tools to improve sleep habits. For example, users are offered suggestions on how to incorporate positive behaviours into their night-time routine, and given a variety of relaxation and mindfulness techniques to help ease into sleep including audio and visual exercises to help settle the mind.
Learn: provides users with information to get a better understanding of sleep and sleep problems. This section also has a basic glossary that explains the meaning of complex terms around insomnia.
Reminders: this section has various reminders to encourage you to use the tools in the app and to help you keep a healthy sleep schedule.

For a more detailed description of the app, see Google Play(external link) or iTunes(external link) and for a detailed review, see Reviews.

Pros	Cons
✔ Extensive input from psychologists expert in the treatment of insomnia. ✔ Comprehensive accurate information about sleep, sleep hygiene, stimulus control and many related topics. ✔ Many audio-visual guided tools – breathing tool, relaxation tool, mindfulness, body scan and guided imageries. Audio-visual guided breathing tool and a muscle relaxation tool. ✔ Has numerous types of reminders (eg, worry time, wind down time, bed time, wake time etc) ✔ Includes sleep diary, calculation of sleep efficiency and graphing of data. ✔ Record and track results from a validated sleep questionnaire – the Insomnia Severity Index. ✔ The app can algorithmically set and adjust sleep/wake times based on sleep diary and questionnaire data following sleep restriction principles. ✔ If your sleep quality is too poor, it will prompt you to see a professional before allowing the app to prescribe a bedtime. You can override this by selecting that you are seeing a professional in the settings.	✘ No syncing of data. ✘ Developed primarily for those already receiving treatment for insomnia. ✘ Focus is very much on US veterans suffering from insomnia due to PTSD but app is still useful for others suffering from insomnia. ✘ Diary entry use difficult to find/access.

Pros

Cons

✔ Extensive input from psychologists expert in the treatment of insomnia.

✔ Comprehensive accurate information about sleep, sleep hygiene, stimulus control and many related topics.

✔ Many audio-visual guided tools – breathing tool, relaxation tool, mindfulness, body scan and guided imageries. Audio-visual guided breathing tool and a muscle relaxation tool.

✔ Has numerous types of reminders (eg, worry time, wind down time, bed time, wake time etc)

✔ Includes sleep diary, calculation of sleep efficiency and graphing of data.

✔ Record and track results from a validated sleep questionnaire – the Insomnia Severity Index.

✔ The app can algorithmically set and adjust sleep/wake times based on sleep diary and questionnaire data following sleep restriction principles.

✔ If your sleep quality is too poor, it will prompt you to see a professional before allowing the app to prescribe a bedtime. You can override this by selecting that you are seeing a professional in the settings.

✘ No syncing of data.

✘ Developed primarily for those already receiving treatment for insomnia.

✘ Focus is very much on US veterans suffering from insomnia due to PTSD but app is still useful for others suffering from insomnia.

✘ Diary entry use difficult to find/access.