HelloBetter® Sleep

Product Overview

Medical condition:

HelloBetter Sleep is designed for adults who meet the criteria for the following F51.0 Nonorganic insomnia; G47.0 Disorders of initiating and maintaining sleep [insomnia].

Target patient population:

Individuals who wish to overcome poor sleep and recover from insomnia.

What to expect:

HelloBetter Sleep is a 12-week program that is structured into 8 units. Each unit takes approximately 45-60 minutes to complete.

Note: for more information, please visit https://hellobetter.de/en/online-courses/sleep/

Clinical Overview

Indications for use:

HelloBetter Sleep is a digital therapeutic aimed at reducing the symptom severity of insomnia.

Outcomes:

Research demonstrated that 79.7% of participants experienced a significant reduction of insomnia symptoms after completing the program. After 6 months, 42.2% of the participants were still symptom-free.

Directions:

HelloBetter Sleep delivers a guideline-based treatment for insomnia by empowering patients with self-led Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), the first-line treatment for insomnia. HelloBetter Sleep translated the CBT-I framework and methods into a digital program, teaching guideline-based strategies for sleep hygiene, bedtime reduction, stimulus control, relaxation techniques, behavioral activation, strategies for dealing with dysfunctional thoughts, rumination and relapse prevention. The exercises are taught throughout the units and can be integrated into everyday life. Goals are set and formulated in such a way that they are specific, realistic, and achievable. In addition to the course units and practical exercises, the program grants access to an online journal, a companion app, and recurring symptom checks to record, monitor, and evaluate one’s own progress.

Risks & warnings:

HelloBetter Sleep may not be suitable for people without internet, wifi, or a mobile or desktop device. This digital therapeutic was developed and evaluated on adults aged 18 years and older.

Place in therapy:

HelloBetter Sleep can be used independently or as a complement to ongoing medical and/or psychotherapeutic treatment. The therapy program is also suitable for bridging the waiting time for a place in psychotherapy and as support after treatment has been completed.

Product Access

Product description:

HelloBetter Sleep is accessible through mobile and web.

Prescription status:

A prescription is not required. In Germany, it has been listed as a digital health application (‘DiGA’), meaning that a diagnosis or prescription leads to universal reimbursement. However, individuals without a diagnosis can access the program through self-pay, or via their care provider.

Patient access:

Eligible users can access the program online, and download the HelloBetter companion app on iOS or Android devices.

Use of this product requires access to:

• Internet or wifi
• And a mobile phone, tablet, or computer

Provider access:

Full provider access is given if providers (e.g. clinic) purchase HelloBetter through their ‘Software-As-A-Service’ offering, which allows providers to add patients, choose products for patients, guide the patients through the product via messages, chat, and regular feedback, etc. Patients may choose to export their information via a downloadable file to certain healthcare providers. This file contains all relevant information on patient progress and symptoms and can be integrated with major EHRs going forward.

Coverage options:

In Germany, HelloBetter Sleep is eligible for prescription and covered by statutory health insurance in Germany – making it available free of charge to over 73 million people.

Product availability:

HelloBetter^® Sleep is available in:  

• Germany: Class I CE mark (MDR)
• Switzerland: Class I CE mark (MDR)

Clinical Trials

• Study Title: Log in and breathe out: internet-based recovery training for sleepless employees with work-related strain – results of a randomized controlled trial – 2015
  Study Design: Randomized controlled trial
  Outcomes:79.7 % of participants show a significant reduction of insomnia symptoms after completing the online therapy program. 42.2 % of participants were symptom-free after 6 months.
• Study Title: Restoring depleted resources: Efficacy and mechanisms of change of an internet-based unguided recovery training for better sleep and psychological detachment from work – 2015
  Study Design: Randomized controlled trial
  Outcomes: Significant reduction of depressive symptoms after 8 weeks and 6 months.
• Study Title: Efficacy of a Self-Help Web-Based Recovery Training in Improving Sleep in Workers: Randomized Controlled Trial in the General Working Population – 2020
  Study Design: Randomized controlled trial
  Outcomes: Participants who received iCBT-I reported significantly lower insomnia severity scores at postintervention and at 6-month follow-up.
• Study Title: Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia: A Health Economic Evaluation – 2016
  Study Design: Evaluation of efficacy with a health-economic evaluation alongside a randomized trial with two parallel groups
  Outcomes:From a societal perspective, the sleep program has shown to be cost-effective compared to a waitlist control group.
• Study Title:  Effectiveness of an internet-based intervention to improve sleep difficulties in a culturally diverse sample of international students: A randomised controlled pilot study – 2021
  Study Design: Randomized controlled trial
  Outcomes: The study shows that a culturally non-adapted internet-based sleep intervention can be a low-threshold treatment option to help meet the high demand for mental healthcare among international students.