Comparative Effectiveness of Three Lucid Dreaming and Sleep Hygiene Techniques

Columbia University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Anxiety

Treatments: Behavioral: Sleep Hygiene Techniques; Behavioral: Stress Reduction; Behavioral: Lucid Dream

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03913988

AAAS3098

Details and patient eligibility

About

In this study, the investigators will compare traditional lucid dream induction techniques, stress reduction strategies, and sleep hygiene across three study groups: (1) lucid dream and stress reduction techniques, and sleep hygiene; (2) lucid dream reduction and sleep hygiene; and (3) sleep hygiene. Participants will be first-year occupational therapy students embarking upon their first full-time 3-month clinical internship. Enrolled participants will be randomized to one of the three groups. The intervention will span 12 weeks and allow for participants to learn about and practice lucid dream induction, stress management, and sleep hygiene in bi-monthly online group sessions and through daily home exercises.

Full description

A significant impediment to completing academic health care programs is student stress level, which have been reported to be increasing in the last decade. Many students are not prepared for the rigor and intensity of their first clinical internship and experience exacerbations of stress and anxiety at this time. There is evidence that lucid dream induction methods have effectively alleviated stress and anxiety in veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression in community dwelling adults. Although lucid dream techniques have been used to manage anxiety in some populations, it has never been used to help health care students on clinical internship experiencing heightened stress levels. In this study, the investigators aim to determine whether lucid dream induction techniques combined with stress management and sleep hygiene could effectively help students on their first clinical internship to better manage stress and anxiety. The investigators hope to gain a greater understanding of which of three study conditions can best alleviate stress and anxiety in participants.

Enrollment: 28 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 21+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Current occupational therapy student attending Columbia University and participating in clinical internship

Exclusion criteria

• none

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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28 participants in 3 patient groups

LUCID DREAMING, STRESS REDUCTION, SLEEP HYGIENE

Active Comparator group

Description:

This group will meet for 6 online sessions, every other week, over the 12-week study. Each online session will run for 1 hour. Each of the 6 sessions will consist of the following: * Psychoeducation regarding lucid dreaming, stress reduction, and sleep hygiene * Practice of lucid dreaming induction techniques * Guided visualization * Opportunity for participants to discuss their experience with lucid dreaming induction techniques, adherence to the lucid dreaming home exercise program and tracking log, using their dream diaries, and adherence to the sleep hygiene program and tracking log.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Stress Reduction

Behavioral: Lucid Dream

Behavioral: Sleep Hygiene Techniques

LUCID DREAMING, SLEEP HYGIENE

Active Comparator group

Description:

This group will meet for 6 online sessions, every other week, over the 12-week study. Each online session will run for 1 hour. Each of the 6 sessions will consist of the following: * Psychoeducation regarding lucid dreaming and sleep hygiene * Practice of lucid dreaming induction techniques * Guided visualization * Opportunity for participants to discuss their experience with lucid dreaming induction techniques, adherence to the lucid dreaming home exercise program and tracking log, using their dream diaries, and adherence to the sleep hygiene program and tracking log.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Lucid Dream

Behavioral: Sleep Hygiene Techniques

SLEEP HYGIENE

Active Comparator group

Description:

This group will meet for 2 online group sessions and 4 email communications. The 2 online group sessions will each last 1 hour and occur in weeks 1 and 12. The 4 email communications will occur in weeks 3, 5, 7, and 9 and consist of individual communication between each participant and the PI or co-investigator. Each email communication will require 10 minutes of participants' time. The control group will be asked to engage in Sleep Hygiene techniques in which they adhere to a recommended protocol and record their adherence in a Sleep Hygiene Tracking Log, requiring 5 minutes per day. Through the 2 online sessions and the individual email with the investigators, participants will have the opportunity to discuss their experience with adherence to the sleep hygiene program and tracking log. Investigators will help participants trouble shoot problems adhering to the sleep hygiene protocol.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Sleep Hygiene Techniques