Due to copyright issues, an electronic copy of the thesis must be ordered from the faculty. For the faculty to have time to process the order, the order must be received by the faculty at the latest 2 days before the public defence. Orders received later than 2 days before the defence will not be processed. After the public defence, please address any inquiries regarding the thesis to the candidate.
Trial Lecture – time and place
See Trial Lecture.
Adjudication committee
- First opponent: Associate professor Susanna Jernelöv, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
- Second opponent: Senior researcher Eivind Schjelderup Skarpsno, Norwegian University of Science and Technology,
- Third member and chair of the evaluation committee: Professor Rune Enger, University of Oslo
Chair of the Defence
Professor II Lise Solberg Nes, University of Oslo
Principal Supervisor
Associate Professor Harald Hrubos-Strøm, University of Oslo
Summary
Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder worldwide, yet access to recommended first-line treatment, cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia, remains limited. This thesis aimed to explore the feasibility of digital tools providing structured support for insomnia self-management across different populations and care contexts. Three sub-studies addressed this aim. Sub-study I examined the feasibility, engagement, and user experiences of a digital sleep diary among participants with insomnia symptoms in two research projects. Sub-study II investigated the prevalence and predictors of chronic insomnia following hospitalisation for COVID-19 and assessed the feasibility of a nurse-administered digital cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) protocol. Sub-study III evaluated the feasibility of a consumer sleep technology electroencephalography neurofeedback system in young adults with a wish to improve sleep quality.
A mixed-methods design was applied. Quantitative data included digital sleep diaries, questionnaires, and objective sleep assessments such as polysomnography and self-applied somnography. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed using thematic analysis.
The digital sleep diary was perceived as useful among most of the participants, and they had an overall high engagement. Chronic insomnia remained prevalent up to twelve months after COVID-19 hospitalisation, with female sex and lower body mass index identified as predictors. While participation in nurse-administered digital CBT-I was limited, completers showed symptom improvement. The neurofeedback system demonstrated low feasibility, with high dropout rates.
Overall, the thesis highlights both the potential and limitations of digital self-management tools in supporting task sharing and stepped-care approaches for insomnia, emphasising challenges related to implementation, professional involvement, and regulation.
Additional information
Contact the research support staff.