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Sleep Well: Sleep and mental health support for young people

Developing online support for better sleep and wellbeing in young people in the UK.

Project overview

The Sleep Well Study is creating and evaluating an online sleep and mental health support programme for 14-18 year olds.

The programme includes four optional elements:

1) Sleep Solved: a web-based app which was co-created with young people to provide science-based advice to improve sleep

2) Phone Downtime: an android app that allows users to set their desired sleep and wake times

3) Sleep Healthy Using the Internet (SHUTi): a 6-session internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy programme for insomnia, co-adapted with young people from the UK from a version for adults in the US.

4) Bite Back: a 6-session positive psychology programme designed by an Australian team to improve wellbeing and resilience in young people.

The project aims to offer the programme to 1000 young people aged 14-18 for them to trial the app and help improve it by sharing their experiences of using the programme.

We are partnered with the University of Bristol, The Sleep Charity and the University of Surrey to ensure the support programme means young people get the help they need by providing early access to support for sleep and wellbeing.

Project details

Most young people with mental health issues don’t get the help they need.

Sleep problems, such as difficulties with getting to or staying asleep, can be both a cause and a result of poor mental health.

Sleep problems are very common when young people are feeling anxious or depressed.

We want to ensure young people can recognise and get the help they need early on to best support them when these problems develop.

We are ensuring the voices of young people with lived experience of sleep problems shape the project and the development of the support programme throughout the project.

We are holding workshops with groups of young people (aged 14-18) at key stages of the project to involve them with shaping, trialling and developing the support programme.

Young people will also have input into key stages of the project such as recruitment, materials and dissemination strategy and outputs.

You can find more information at Developing online support to improve sleep and mental health for young people.

And get in touch on [email protected] to find out more.

Work with us

We are always excited to hear from others who want to collaborate on mental health research. From delivering peer research to helping you with public involvement strategies and providing training, get in touch to chat.